The Directory of Mobile Phone numbers goes live next week. All numbers (including those belonging to children) may be open to cold calling.

The company launching this service claims to have a policy not to include anyone in the directory who isn’t 18 years of age. However most children receive their mobile phone from their parent and this means they are also open to cold calls.

The mobile phone directory is marketed as a solution to help you get hold of someone when you don’t have their number. This is all fine if it is an old school friend or an ex colleague trying to get in touch. However the reality is that you are more likely to be inundated with calls from salesman and drone machines from call centres.

The mobile phone directory is made up from various sources according to the company promoting this service. Generally it comes from companies who collect mobile telephone numbers from customers in the course of doing business and have been given permission by the customers to share those numbers. To what extent permission was granted by the individual and whether it was made clear to them that this will end up on a directory is not clear. I know if I was specifically asked to be listed on a directory my answer will simply be no.

The service charge from their website to get your contact details sent to the person you’re trying to get hold of, is £1. This charge is made by an SMS message from the company to you and will appear on your mobile phone bill.

When you call their directory number you will be charged 69p and their charge per minute is 14p. Call charges from other landline providers and mobile phone companies may vary. The charge will appear on your phone bill.

To remove your number from this directory, simply follow this link http://www.118800.co.uk/removeme/remove-me.html. You can also text the letter ‘E’ to 118800 from the mobile phone you want to be made ex-directory. However you will be charged for this text. This may take up to 4 weeks for your ex-directory request to take effect.

Mobile phones now come with Bluetooth functionality as a standard feature in most devices. This means more and more accessories such as hands-free ear pieces and car kits are commonly used and as a result Bluetooth functionality is left active in most mobiles by the users.

Mobiles with Bluetooth activated are prone to attacks from Bluetooth hackers. So what is Bluetooth hacking and how is it done? Bluetooth hackers commonly use 3rd party software’s to gain access to your mobile via the Bluetooth short range radio feature. This enables them to steal your mobile data or even make calls from your phone.

Bluetooth hacking is becoming very popular more recently due to the increase in mobiles with active Bluetooth functionality.

There are many Bluetooth hacking tools targeting specific OS software such as Linux and have been successful in infiltrating common mobile operating systems.

In this article we will cover popular methods used by the hackers to gain access to your mobile and how you can avoid being a victim.

Bluesnarfing
Bluesnarfing allows the hackers to gain access anonymously to Bluetooth enabled devices for the purpose of stealing personal information and details using a software tool.

This is one of the popular hacking methods used commonly by Bluetooth hackers. However even this tool is now finding it difficult to execute and gain access to some mobiles. This is due to new safety measures introduced by many of the latest mobiles and recently upgraded firmwares with better security features.

Bluejacking
Bluejacking is very harmless to your device but can be offensive if it is misused. This method normally involves sending Electronic Business Cards to another Bluetooth device with a message in the name field. Since the Bluetooth range is typically around 10 meters the person who is initiating Bluejacking is most likely to be somewhere near-by.

Bluebugging
Bluebugging is a method of hacking into Mobile phone handsets using device commands which is not noticeable by the victim.

Just in case the hacker was successful, this would give them access to nearly every activity that is running on your phone. This means they could listen to your conversation over the phone, send and receive text messages through your phone and also make calls. In most cases these calls are made to premium line numbers charging up to £1.50 a minute, while you end up paying the bill. This will generate the hackers hundreds of pounds at your expense.

The tool used for this method has similar functionalities to Bluesnarfing but has more capabilities to make use of your mobile phones features and services.