In today’s digital age, it’s not enough to just have a secure password – you need to make sure your devices are as safe as possible. If you’re an iPhone user with Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T, then you’re at risk of SIM swap attacks. In this blog post, we’ll explain how these attacks work and how you can protect your phone from them. Read on to learn more about protecting your device and staying safe online!
What is a SIM-swap attack?
A SIM-swap attack is a type of cyber attack in which a malicious actor tricks a phone company into transferring the victim’s phone number to a sim card that the attacker controls. This allows the attacker to intercept calls and texts intended for the victim, as well as potentially gain access to any online accounts that use the victim’s phone number for two-factor authentication.
SIM-swap attacks are often carried out by social engineering the phone company’s customer service representatives into believing that the attacker is the legitimate owner of the victim’s phone number. This can be done through various means, such as providing personal information about the victim that the attacker has obtained through other means (such as a data breach), or by impersonating the victim and providing fake documents or other forms of proof of identity.
Once the attacker has successfully transferred the victim’s phone number to their own sim card, they can use it to gain access to the victim’s accounts and potentially steal sensitive information or conduct other illegal activities.
How to stop SIM-swap attacks on iPhones
Major US networks are now putting measures in place to curb this SIM-swap attack. Now, before a major change can be made to a sim and number, there will be a need to provide a security pin designed specifically for sim swaps. Verizon took the security level even further by adding a Number lock.
You can enable this security pin and lock to stop sim-swap attacks on various US networks through the following processes:
AT&T
- Navigate to your AT&T profile
- Search for My linked accounts
- Select Edit across from the passcode you want to change
- Follow the prompts
Verizon
- Launch the Verizon app
- Check the Discover tab on the left-hand side to determine if there is a feature that allows you to enable Number Lock at or near the top of the page; if not, press ‘Account’ at the base then select ‘Edit profile & settings‘ from above
- Scroll down just beneath Security and choose ‘Number Lock‘
- Tap on the toggles next to each of your phone numbers in order to bar them from being able to be ported elsewhere
T-Mobile
- Launch the T-Mobile app
- Tap More
- Choose Profile settings
- Select T-Mobile ID
- Select PIN/Passcode
- Enter your PIN/Passcode and confirm it
- Hit Save – a text message will be sent to you confirming the PIN/Passcode update request
