Security Experts to Reveal Cell Phone Flaw
A group of prominent cryptographers will announce today that they have discovered a hole in the privacy protection in next-generation digital cellular telephones. The new phones were supposed to be far more secure from eavesdropping and fraud than the analog phones used by most mobile-phone customers today. But Bruce Schneier, a well-known expert on code breaking, and other researchers have found a way to easily monitor any numbers dialed on a digital phone, such as credit card numbers or passwords. In addition, they say, voice conversations can easily be deciphered. The findings could be a setback for the telecommunications industry, which has touted the security features of the new digital cellular and PCS systems.