Hackers finding it easier to get into smartphones, including iPhones

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Posted: 03/04/2013

Smartphones keep getting smarter and so are the people trying to break into them.

And that's bad news for people who treat their phone like their wallets by paying bills and storing a lot of data.

Murray Jennex is a professor of information security at San Diego State University.

He says Android and Windows phones have always been the number one pick for hackers. They have an open network and let you download just about anything, including fake apps that could steal your information.

Jennex says Apple has a closed operating system.  

You can only download apps through the Apple store. So the apps are validated and checked by Apple. There's a feeling of safety.

But, not anymore.

"What's been demonstrated is if you can get a virus into the Safari browser, that it will then tell the iPhone to send all the information stored on the phone to a set address," Jennex says.

Documents, information from any bank apps, anything saved on your phone would be sent.

Jennex says that the virus could dump your passwords, dump your pictures and it could also dump your phone log.

So, be cautious with what you store in any smartphone, including an iPhone.

And the iPhone has a security flaw with the passcode on its new operating system. Thieves have a way to break through your lock and into your phone.

Apple is aware of the issue and is offering a solution through an update.

Email me with any consumer scam you see or "like" my ABC 15 Facebook page and tell me about it there.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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