By Ashley Alvarado, Staff Writer.
Text messaging has become a vital form of communication in the modern age of technology primarily for college students. However, hackers create a threat for various text-messaging applications. These hackers get unauthorized access to private conversations by taking advantage of mistakes and errors in mobile networks, resulting in identity theft, loss of money, and fraud. Recognizing the risk of texting and how to protect yourself from possible online threats is important to prevent dangerous situations.
Text message hacking usually involves techniques such as setting up a virus installation and swapping the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
SIM swapping is when a hacker convinces a cell phone provider to switch a victim’s phone number to a new SIM card under their control. This allows the hacker access to personal and private accounts by allowing them to monitor SMS messages, including two-factor authentication.
Sophomore biology major Jessica Davis shared a concerning experience she had with a cyber scam. She highlighted the value of being careful when answering spam messages and verifying the sender’s identity before clicking on any links.
“I was asked to confirm my bank information in a text message that looked to be from my Capital One bank. I almost clicked on the link, but I had a weird feeling. After doing some study and asking my parents, I found that it was a fraud that took on students,” Davis said. “I realized how easily someone could fall for that.”
Another student, Omar Zuniga, who doesn’t go to this school, talked about his SIM-swapping experience. He emphasized that students should keep an eye on their phone usage and set two-factor authentication on their accounts.
“I noticed that my phone was acting weird a few weeks ago. I was not receiving any SMS. I found out my SIM card had been changed after being in touch with T-Mobile. They were given access to both my social media accounts and my messages,” he said. “It was a big alertness call.”
Fears were raised by both students over other people’s understanding of text messaging hackers.
“I think many people are not aware of the risk. We forget about risks since we’re so used to texting and always exchanging information,” Davis said.
Zuriga proposed an idea to create more discussion surrounding cybersecurity.
“Schools should do better to inform students about cybersecurity,” Zuniga said. “Talks or workshops would be a good way to raise awareness of this terrible thing.”
It is important to make protected, one-of-a-kind passwords for each of your accounts. People can securely make and keep difficult passwords with the use of the password keepers that Apple provides. Because harmful apps have a way to harm devices, students should be more careful when trusting certain messaging apps and only use sources that are monitored for hackers.
Students are more likely to text message hackers since they often ignore the risks of their online communication habits. Education is an essential part to improvement because it gives students the knowledge they need to keep their private information secure in a world that is becoming more connected by the day.
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