Mobile phone hacking potential alert

   NBC/Reuters is relaying a report that the United Nations' Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union, which has reviewed the research and describes as "hugely significant,” a bug, discovered by a German firm, that would let hackers gain remote control and clone certain types of mobile SIM cards, and is planning on issuing “an alert about the significant vulnerabilities in mobile phone technology that could let hackers attack at least half a billion phones.”

   ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Touré told Reuters, “the agency would notify telecommunications regulators and other government agencies in nearly 200 countries about the potential threat, and also reach out to hundreds of mobile companies, academics and other industry experts.,” the article said, further, that “a spokeswoman for the GSMA, which represents nearly 800 mobile operators worldwide, said it also reviewed the research and  have been able to consider the implications and provide guidance to those network operators and SIM vendors that may be impacted.”

  “Nicole Smith, a spokeswoman for Gemalto NV, the world's biggest maker of SIM cards, said her company supported GSMA's response.”