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Long despised by email users around the world, unsolicited spam messages are
slowly but surely creeping onto wireless text messaging platforms.
Cell phone users in the United states will receive around 1.1 million spam
messages this year, and 1.5 million in 2008, according to messaging specialist,
Ferris Research. This might not seem like much given that 250 million Americans
now use wireless services, but analysts warn that cell phone spam will grow
significantly in the coming years, and that viruses and spyware that monitors
mobile communications could be next.
“Wireless phones are a brandnew attack target for the hackers,” commented Tom
Bowers, senior security evangelist with software vendor, Kaspersky Lab.
Cell phone carriers have taken a hard line against mobile spamming, intercepting
unsolicited commercial messages and taking whatever action they can against the
perpetrators. In May, America’s second largest carrier, Verizon Wireless, sued a
company which they claim “inundated” its customers with more than 12 million
unsolicited text messages. Verizon managed to block all but 4,618 from reaching
customers, but dealing with the spam attack cost them money, and resulted in
clogged SMS networks.
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Source: http://www.teleclick.ca/2007/11/mobilespamworrieswirelessindustryanalysts/
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