Blackberry Hack: Computer Security Specialist Points Out The Loopholes

Blackberry owners beware: your communications gadgets can become gateways to computer attacks.

This was the battlecry of Global Praetorian’s Jesse D’Aguanno, a California-based computer specialist. Blackberries, he argued, are vulnerable to attack software hidden in downloadable third-party applications, which a hacker could then use to gain access to a company’s computer network, bypassing the entire spectrum of firewalls set up at the network’s Internet gateway. Another attack method would be to hijack legitimate Blackberry users and replace them with rogue devices, called “blackjacking.”

“One of the biggest hurdles for an actual attacker is to get themselves on the internal network,” D’Aguanno said. “Going head-on is usually not the smart way to go because of beefy fire walls and all that. But, if you get yourself inside the network, there are vulnerable machines, the defenses aren’t as formidable because they rely on the outer walls.”

Praetorian Global will make available – designed for information purposes – a “Blackberry Attack Toolkit” at their website. D’Aguanno says that the potential for the Toolkit to be used maliciously was “nil,” and was meant only to demonstrate to network administrators the security loopholes yet to be covered. So far, there have been no successful hacker attacks via Blackberry units, he noted. Still, he further advised security measures such as limiting the downloading of third-party applications, and isolating components of computer servers dealing with supporting mobile units such as the Blackberry.

Blackberry owners beware: your communications gadgets can become gateways to computer attacks.

This was the battlecry of Global Praetorian’s Jesse D’Aguanno, a California-based computer specialist. Blackberries, he argued, are vulnerable to attack software hidden in downloadable third-party applications, which a hacker could then use to gain access to a company’s computer network, bypassing the entire spectrum of firewalls set up at the network’s Internet gateway. Another attack method would be to hijack legitimate Blackberry users and replace them with rogue devices, called “blackjacking.”

“One of the biggest hurdles for an actual attacker is to get themselves on the internal network,” D’Aguanno said. “Going head-on is usually not the smart way to go because of beefy fire walls and all that. But, if you get yourself inside the network, there are vulnerable machines, the defenses aren’t as formidable because they rely on the outer walls.”

Praetorian Global will make available – designed for information purposes – a “Blackberry Attack Toolkit” at their website. D’Aguanno says that the potential for the Toolkit to be used maliciously was “nil,” and was meant only to demonstrate to network administrators the security loopholes yet to be covered. So far, there have been no successful hacker attacks via Blackberry units, he noted. Still, he further advised security measures such as limiting the downloading of third-party applications, and isolating components of computer servers dealing with supporting mobile units such as the Blackberry.