Security News > 2021 > December > How to thwart SIM swapping attacks?

SIM swapping attacks have been reported in the media since 2017.

With the ENISA Report - Countering SIM-Swapping, the EU Agency for Cybersecurity gives an overview of how SIM swapping attacks work and of the extent to which Member States are affected.

In a SIM swapping attack, an attacker takes over the mobile phone number of the real subscriber, by asking the mobile telecom provider to link that number to a SIM card under the attacker's control.

SIM swapping procedures exist for legitimate reasons when the SIM card is lost or damaged.

SIM swapping is also used to connect mobile phones with an embedded SIM. eSIMs are increasingly common.

In a SIM swapping attack, the attacker will convince the telecom provider to do the SIM swap, using social engineering techniques, pretending to be the real customer, claiming that the original SIM card is for example damaged or lost.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/12/14/sim-swapping-attacks/