Pak can attack your cell

The Wi-fi or WAP in your lastest mobile handset could take you places on the Internet. But be careful when you download songs from Pakistani websites as this may infect your phone with viruses and ruin your prized possession.

Beware! Your newly-bought, high-end, WAP-enabled or wi-fi-enabled cellphone is under threat from Pakistan. Don't worry, no gunshots are involved, just a few viruses that may eventually ruin the existing applications or, at times, reboot the mobile all of a sudden.

A senior official from Pune's Cyber Cell told MiD DAY that there were several song sites on the Internet which are actually honey traps laid down by some Pakistani cyber criminals. People who log on to these sites may infect their high-end cellphones with Trojan a malicious programme that gives the sender an unauthorised access to your cellphone or computer.

"Once this programme is introduced in you cell phone, the sender of the programme can use your equipment from remote part of the world to scan your content, or send emails without your knowledge. This is very dangerous because the receiver will think that it is you who has sent it," he added.

The whole purpose of introducing Trojan into the cellphones and computers could also be used as "botnet" to create trouble in India. A botnet's originator can controlu00a0 a large group whose computer or cell phones are infected with trojan and usually for nefarious purpose like Denial Of Service attacks.

Denial Of Service is a term where multiple systems autonomously access a single Internet system or service in a way that appears legitimate, but much more frequently than normal use and cause the system to become busy.
The cyber criminal can use lakhs of computers and send large number of emails to any important institution and cause the whole system to shut down.

Sites ending with Pakistan's Internet address (.pk) are under scanner. songs.pk is one site which has been sending out viruses into computers and mobiles when songs, ring tones or any other applications are downloaded.

"Youngsters get easily attracted to sites with Bollyood songs, Pakistani songs, Indian pop, remix and ghazals. But it's MP3 and ringtones which pose a greater threat," he added.