You risk SIM-based authentication being compromised by SIM cloning when a malicious user copies your SIM card. To minimize damage, you need to realize it as soon as possible.
SIM Cloning:Â Why Does It Happen?
It can be viewed as a security measure that enables you to prove that you are entitled to access a cellular network by providing your SIM card. There is a unique identification number associated with your phone number, and this is as well as a number that is unique to each SIM that you use. This number is registered with the service provider.
There are two possible interpretations of what is meant by the term “cloned” SIM card. The two possible outcomes for this situation:Â
- Blocked original card, and the number associated with that card has been transferred to a new SIM in possession of a malicious actor.
- Blocked the original card, and a new SIM was introduced on the same network.
Although tools can make a copy of a SIM card, these tools require the original SIM card to be present to work. An attacker must, therefore, steal our card to be able to use it. This isn’t a convenient option, so most people pretend to be you and have a SIM swap done by a phone company impersonating you.
It’s called social engineering, a hacking technique that targets the most vulnerable part of a security system in most cases:Â humans. Sometimes, SIM card cloning occurs through collaboration with an insider at the phone company, so your SIM card is not blocked, making it harder to detect the hack.
SIM Cloning Warning Signs
Although SIM cloning is a relatively rare occurrence, it’s still something that everyone who uses a SIM card needs to be aware of. As such, how would you even be able to tell that you have had your card cloned if it had happened to you?
- Resubmission of SIM Registration Bill Without Social Media RequirementsÂ
- TIPS: Size comparison of SIM cards
Table of Contents
1. Unable to Receive Texts and Calls
You will be blocked from using your phone if the attacker has initiated a SIM swap by impersonating you and creating the SIM swap on your behalf. If you have no connection and your phone is unauthorized or something along those lines, if you cannot connect, you may see a message with no link. As a result, you will not be able to make or receive calls or messages. You must contact your provider immediately if this happens to you and ask if a SIM swap has been initiated if it has not already done so.
2. Unwanted 2FA Messages
The same messages can be sent to both your handset and the cloned handset if the hacker manages to clone your card without blocking your original card, and both handsets receive copies of the same messages. You should contact your provider if you get messages with password reset codes or other two-factor authentication (2FA) information you did not request. This is important for the protection of your SIM card.
3. Unknown Activity on Your Bill
It’s important to remember that sometimes hackers who clone SIM cards are not trying to defraud you directly but trick others using your number. By controlling your phone number, they can commit crimes, impersonate you, and commit fraud scams using it.
As a result, review your phone records every month to ensure that calls are not being made on your number that you are not making!
Preventing SIM Cloning
Being a victim of SIM cloning is rare, but it can devastate your life. If cloning is done in collaboration with employees of a company who are conspiring to carry out cloning, then there is no natural way to prevent it.Â
Although this may be true in some cases, in most cases, it is the phone company itself that is scammed by hackers impersonating you. To verify that a caller is a correct person, the phone company will ask the caller several questions about their personal information.
This can only happen when you contact the company by phone. Almost certainly, if someone calls you claiming to be from your phone company and wants this information, it’s an attempt to steal it and trick the phone company into thinking they are you. So, if you receive a call like this, never divulge any sensitive information!
It is better to take care of one of the main reasons for cloning in the first place by dealing with one of the leading causes. There may be situations when you need to switch to a different kind of two-factor authentication service if you have been using an SMS-based, SIM-linked service for two-factor authentication. Compared to other options, SMS-based two-factor authentication is a weak method.
An authenticator application tied to your specific handset will be the best bet if you want to protect your identity. Several companies use Google Authenticator, although this technology is not universally compatible with all companies.
