Skip to main content

Hackers eavesdrop through office work phones

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON – A conversation on your office phone may not be as private you think.

Researchers at Columbia University say some office phones have a flaw with their Internet connections. Hackers are finding a way to turn on a telephone’s microphone through the Internet and eavesdrop in on a conversation, remotely.

According to NBC news, these flaws affect Cisco’s popular Internet Protocol telephones.

In addition to being a staple at businesses and corporations, the Cisco phones are also used in numerous government and military applications.

The company appears to be working on a fix, but the researchers consider the flaw “dangerous.”

WTOP’s John Aaron contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story

Related Stories

Cards, gifts cross religious lines

Mind your mouth: How oral health affects overall health

5 questions to ask before buying a winter home