Corporate executives traveling abroad should beware of links in incoming SMS messages, as they might target the security of their mobile devices, according to a recent presentation at the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) AppSec DC 2012 conference on Thursday.
The presenter, Justin Morehouse, a security researcher, claimed that executives or other high value employees should be on guard for attempts to compromise their mobile devices, even while they're still on the tarmac. A common point of entry into the phone is an SMS message containing a link. These attack messages often imitate the standard "welcome" texts that local mobile providers use to inform travelers of local mobile and data rates. This makes these attacks very effective, as the messages are accepted as normal, and are often expected.