Image: Cathryn Virginia
The Weakest Link is Motherboard's third, annual theme week dedicated to the future of hacking and cybersecurity. Follow along here.
One minute, you’re using your phone as normal. The next minute, you lose cell service. “No SIM,” a message in the top left corner reads. You’re confused. You grab your computer, and try to login to your email. The password has been changed. Same with your Facebook. Your phone rings, apparently switched back on. On the other side is a hacker, who tells you that he’s stolen your phone number and your accounts, and that he’ll give them back if you send him Bitcoin.This type of hack is becoming all too common, and there’s little consumers can do to stop it. In the pilot episode of CYBER (click here to subscribe), host Ben Makuch (who old school Motherboard fans may remember as our former Canada editor and VICELAND fans might remember from Cyberwar) talks to Motherboard senior staff writer Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai about these hacks, called “SIM hijacking.” You’ll also hear audio from a real SIM hijacking ransom, in which a victim tries to talk a hacker out of stealing his money. Lorenzo has been following these hacks since last year, when a vulnerability in T-Mobile’s website allowed hackers to access customer information that could be used in a SIM swap.
One minute, you’re using your phone as normal. The next minute, you lose cell service. “No SIM,” a message in the top left corner reads. You’re confused. You grab your computer, and try to login to your email. The password has been changed. Same with your Facebook. Your phone rings, apparently switched back on. On the other side is a hacker, who tells you that he’s stolen your phone number and your accounts, and that he’ll give them back if you send him Bitcoin.This type of hack is becoming all too common, and there’s little consumers can do to stop it. In the pilot episode of CYBER (click here to subscribe), host Ben Makuch (who old school Motherboard fans may remember as our former Canada editor and VICELAND fans might remember from Cyberwar) talks to Motherboard senior staff writer Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai about these hacks, called “SIM hijacking.” You’ll also hear audio from a real SIM hijacking ransom, in which a victim tries to talk a hacker out of stealing his money. Lorenzo has been following these hacks since last year, when a vulnerability in T-Mobile’s website allowed hackers to access customer information that could be used in a SIM swap.
We’re so excited to launch CYBER, Motherboard’s first-ever cybersecurity- and infosec-focused podcast. Each week, Ben, Lorenzo, Joseph Cox, and their sources will take you through the stories they’re working on and will break down some of the biggest topics in the cybersecurity world. We’ll go deep on travel hacking schemes, the video game piracy underground, election hacking, and wherever else the news takes us. CYBER is available on Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Soundcloud, and any other podcast app you use. Please listen and tell your friends about us, and stay vigilant.CYBER is available on Apple Podcasts, every podcast app, Soundcloud, and as a direct MP3 download.