Introduction
In today’s digital age, our smartphones are more than just communication devices; they are gateways to our personal and financial information. This makes them prime targets for cybercriminals. One particularly insidious method they use is the SIM Swap attack.
How much do you know about this type of cyber-threat? Do you know what SIM Swap attacks are or how they work?
Most importantly, how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim?
What is a SIM Swap Attack?
A SIM Swap attack, also known as SIM hijacking, occurs when a cybercriminal tricks your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to a SIM card they control. Once they have control of your phone number, they can intercept calls and text messages, including those used for multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Once the hacker can get to your apps and bypass MFA, they gain access to your online accounts like email, banking, and social media profiles.
How Does a SIM Swap Attack Work?
- Gathering Information: The attacker collects personal information about the victim, often through phishing emails, social engineering, or data breaches.
- Contacting the Carrier: The attacker contacts the victim’s mobile carrier, posing as the victim. They use the gathered information to convince the carrier to transfer the victim’s phone number to a new SIM card.
- Gaining Access: Once the phone number is transferred, the attacker can receive all calls and texts meant for the victim, including MFA codes. This allows them to reset passwords and gain access to the victim’s accounts.
SIM Swap attacks are dangerous…but you are not defenseless against them!
Protecting Your Accounts from SIM Swaps
Now that you understand what these bad actors want and how they perpetuate these attacks, you can start to proactively defend your accounts!
For starters, ensure that your online accounts have strong, unique passwords. Avoid referencing something guessable, like your pet’s name or your favorite city. Instead, choose random combinations of letters, numbers and symbols that will be much more difficult to guess. Choose different passwords for each new account; you can use a password manager to keep all of your credentials organized and secure!
While we still recommend using MFA whenever possible, you should opt for verification methods other than one-time passcodes or one-click approval. Biometrics like your thumbprint or face ID, and app-based authentication like Authy, can only be verified by you and are thus much more secure.
For extremely sensitive accounts, like the account tied to your smartphone carrier, you should consider contacting the provider to set up a PIN or password before authorizing any changes.
To be extra safe, you should regularly check your bank statements, credit reports, and online accounts for any suspicious activity. Early detection can help mitigate damage. That’s why you should consider security solutions, like ours, that protect against malware and other threats!
How to React in a SIM Swap Attack
If you suspect that you are a victim of a SIM Swap attack, act quickly but calmly. You should already have an incident response plan in place that tells you what to do in an emergency, including which superiors to contact.
Because they target our mobile devices, however, this type of attack compromises our personal devices too, like our cell phone and home computers.
- Contact Your Carrier: Immediately contact your mobile carrier to regain control of your phone number.
- Change Your Passwords: Change the passwords for your online accounts, especially those linked to your phone number.
- Enable MFA: Ensure that MFA is enabled on your accounts, prioritizing app-based and biometric authentication.
- Monitor Your Accounts: Keep a close eye on your financial and online accounts for any unauthorized activity.
By staying informed and taking proactive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to a SIM Swap attack. Remember, education and watchfulness is critical to maintain security against ever-advancing cyber-threats!
