Security News > 2021 > May > Recycle Your Phone, Sure, But Maybe Not Your Number

The Princeton team has a number of recommendations for T-Mobile and Verizon, noting that both carriers allow unlimited inquiries on their prepaid customer platforms online - meaning there is nothing to stop attackers from automating this type of number reconnaissance.

The carriers could offer their own "Number parking" service for customers who know they will not require phone service for an extended period of time, or for those who just aren't sure what they want to do with a number.

The Princeton study recommends consumers who are considering a number change instead either store the digits at an existing number parking service, or "Port" the number to something like Google Voice.

For a one-time $20 fee, Google Voice will let you port the number, and then you can continue to receive texts and calls to that number via Google Voice, or you can forward them to another number.

Porting seems like less of a hassle and potentially safer considering the average user has something like 150 accounts online, and a significant number of those accounts are going to be tied to one's mobile number.

Many online services require you to provide a phone number upon registering an account, but in many cases that number can be removed from your profile afterwards.

News URL

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/recycle-your-phone-sure-but-maybe-not-your-number/