We’ve all heard about the News of the World voicemail hackings in Britain, where several celebrities had their privacy violated. The same technology that was used to target Sean Connery and Hugh Grant could just as easily be used to violate the privacy of Long Islanders.
Think you’re safe? Check out this video to learn how easy it is to hack a voicemail. In fact, it’s so easy a 54 year-old Congressman can do it.
The trick is this simple: By visiting one of the many phone number “spoofing” websites a perpetrator can call the voicemail service and access a victim’s messages without having to type a password.
Most people don’t have secrets of interest to the tabloids, but many people do have delicate financial or personal information that they assume is private stored on their voicemail. This is exactly why every cell phone user should have their voicemail protected by a password – and every wireless carrier should make password-protected voicemail a standard feature in their products and contracts. Some may think this added safety step is a waste of time, but they’re wrong. Your privacy depends on it.
That’s why I have sent a letter to the FCC asking that they work with wireless carriers to make password-protected voicemail standard for all mobile phones and contracts. The chairman of the FCC has already publicly admitted that vulnerabilities in voicemail privacy need to be addressed; now is the time to make sure that we take steps to protect consumers.
For more information on my work protecting Long Island consumers, please visit http://israel.house.gov.
Steve Israel is absolutely correct to keep his civilian constituency informed. The Chinese (or whatever enemy-du-jour you want to pull out of the hat today) are far more interested in the wide opportunities for identity theft that abound in NYC and Long Island's relatively clueless domestic and corporate sectors. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've had to tell a new customer that they need to purchase decent commercial-level antivirus software. War drivers are everywhere riding up and down the free wireless, botnets are constantly looking for neglected systems running older hardware to take over, and this is another vector that needs addressing. Right on, Rep. Israel, thank you!
And, as for Mr Livingston's comment, he distorts the Obama LIMITED plan to allow young men and women who came into this country at an early age, through no personal fault of their own -- i.e., under certain circumstances and not universal by any means -- to remain in the country. It is a plan that in some ways mirrors one under development by GOP Sen. Rubio, and many of the non-radical-fringe Republicans have long called for kinder treatment of such young men and women. So, the loonies of the right will hate it, and the moderates of the GOP may resent it as an idea-stealer, but most Americans will end up supporting the concept, yet to be fleshed out.
So it sounds like you don't believe in sovereign borders, the U.S. Constituttion, or any law for that matter. And you are a racist, infusing race in every issue you can find.
Now would you please be equally clear on why you voted to victimize seniors by hacking $500 billion dollars from Medicare and reducing the flow of money into their "Social Security Trust Funds"?
The Affordable Care Act (what the loonies like to re-name "Obamacare," which prompts me to re-name our most cherished medical protection, Medicare, as "LBJ-care") is not the cause of runaway health care costs. In fact, it is the first step to rein in surging health care costs. Let's cap prescription drug prices by having Medicare become the negotiator for tighter drug prices (yes, the poor outrageously profitable drug companies would have to give up some of their excess profits). And let's enforce the amount of medical insurance premiums allowed to go to paying bonuses and outrageous salaries to health insurance executives (the Affordable Care Act is a good start for this objective). And let's properly price medical tests and medical procedures so that health care providers are not penalized for providing conservative but good quality care, as well as not outrageously paid with disproportionate fees that swing wildly even within a Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as nationally. There are so many things that need to be done, but the Affordable Care Act is part -- sadly not enough, due to Congressional obstructionism -- of the solution, and not part of the problem.
"By 2019....Medicare (reimbursement) rates would be relatively lower than those currently paid for Medicaid..." "...Medicare beneficiaries would almost certainly face increasingly severe problems with access to care." "This gap could jeopardize Medicare beneficiaries' access to mainstream medical care." 2011 Medicare Board of Trustees: "Under the high cost assumptions....asset depletion would occur in 2016." Not much Medicare protection going on there. Than there is the Independent Payment Advisory Board which, can, WITHOUT FIRST RECEIVING CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, make changes to Medicare Policy affecting seniors' health coverage. They're a panel of 15, unelected bureaucrats. Can't see much protection for seniors coming from that crew.
comment on the actual posted topic. The topic was well written and needed to be discussed. Far too many people are unaware that your voicemail can be looked at by others. Who knows what information lies on a voicemaqil box. If you have a hatred for the poster send him an e-mail or letter which can be easily be done as he is a Political figure. Anyone want to comment on the topic of the post which was about cell phone security............ Scoobie
Let's stay on point. Your record is a sad commentary on your leadership and the rubber stamping you provide for this president and the policies he espouses which most of them are unconstitutional....the examples are too numerous to cite here. Let's just say it not about "We the People" but in your case; the Central Planners.
Hope it helps. Andrew