Google wants my mobile number for "security purposes." Yeah, right.

[Atman]

Just went to sign in to the Google and got this message...

Account security changes coming: Add your mobile phone

Google is introducing additional security measures to be used when we detect a suspicious sign-in attempt for your account. By adding your mobile phone to your Google account, you'll be able to easily pass these security measures and make it much harder for hijackers.

Why do I feel like giving Google my cell phone isn't a good idea? Would you give it to them?

[hobbit709]

1. Give them this.

877-382-4357

[Skinner]

2. This is actually a great feature, that makes your Google account much more secure.

I have already signed up for it, and I am very satisfied. Whenever I log onto my Gmail account from a new computer, Google sends a text message to my phone with a security code. I have to enter that security code in order to access my Gmail.

This guarantees that nobody will ever be able to hack into my Gmail account -- unless they have my cell phone, which is highly unlikely.

[baldguy]

5. Unless you lose the phone.

[Skinner]

8. Yes, that was pretty much the point of my post.

It is much less likely that a malicious person would get access to both my phone and my Gmail account, compared to just my Gmail account.

[Zalatix]

7. What's stopping hackers from raiding their database for your cell phone #

and intercepting your calls?
http://venturebeat.com/2010/07/31/hacker-shows-how-he-can-intercept-cell-phone-calls-for-1500/

Or, worse yet, altering the cell phone # in the database?

[Skinner]

9. This is silly.

Yes, catastrophic failure like that is certainly possible, and it does happen on the Internet.

The only way to completely protect yourself from security breaches is to avoid saving or sending any sensitive information on the Internet. And that is certainly a legitimate choice to make if having zero risk is your number one priority.

But years ago I made the choice to use Gmail, and I am going to take advantage of any feature that makes my Gmail account more secure. It would appear that the OP also made the choice to use Gmail. If he wants to make is Gmail account more secure, then this is a no-brainer.

[Zalatix]

11. You say my scenario is silly but then you say it is possible. Which is it? You cannot say both.

If you give Google your cell phone number you just handed your cell phone to any hacker that breaks into your system. If you own a smartphone your already nonzero odds of having it get hacked, multiply by 9000.

Once the hacker breaks into your account they can get into Google's database and get your cell phone number. Finding out what kind of phone you have is trivial. They then dig into their database of phone hacks and before you know it they're spying on you, or copying or remotely deleting your data. Just ask Aaron Barr of HB Gary if you don't believe me.

Hackers have the ability to smash the stack - that is, to break into practically any system without even needing a password. Upon doing that, they can alter ALL your data, including Google's record of your cell phone #. They can reroute that to their own cell phone and good luck EVER getting your Gmail back. Meanwhile everyone who has your Gmail will be sending information to your hacked Gmail. Pwned.

Sadly, I fear that most people fail to realize just how absolutely CATASTROPHIC (on a personal level) that this structural design weakness really is.

Everything I've pointed out here I have seen with my own two eyes - all except hacks of Gmail itself. I've seen just about every OTHER web entity in the universe get hacked, mostly by people that I personally know and fear. I've been to DEFCON three times and I can absolutely guarantee you that hackers are an OUTSIDE CONTEXT PROBLEM for you, me and Google.



Here is a general rule of security - NEVER increase your connectivity and integration between services (like Gmail and your cell phone). That only increases the scope of your troubles when a security breach happens.

[Atman]

10. Is there any reason to do it if you don't use Gmail?

[catabryna]

3. They've been begging for my phone number for two years...

I do not get any sales calls on my phone. I'm sure that would change if Google ended up with me telephone number. No way.

Edited to add: I signed up for gmail back when you actually had to be invited and received confirmation via telephone. I trusted the old Google. They are not what they were 6 years ago.

[baldguy]

4. Why should they make it easy to bypass their security? That's not very secure, is it?

[lpbk2713]

6. When someone I don't trust asks me for a phone number ...

I usually give them the local AOL dial-up phone number.

Let them deal with that.

[pintobean]

12. I suspect they already have our cell numbers

[L. Coyote]

13. Give them your number

or they cannot verify you calling them. Simple enough.

[truman43]

14. my #

They have my cellphone #, they just want me to verify it.

[gopiscrap]

15. Welcome to DU!