Paris Hilton gave my number away...

Yes!!! The numbers are real...yes, someone has been calling me since the MOMENT they were released on the web...no I am not taking Paris out for ice cream now that she has done this to me!!! (please click on the pic...and look real close)

Just in case you don't know what is going on with this...here is the bigger story behind this blitz. T-Mobile was just recently hacked, revealing all of the customer information and account passwords for all of its users.The salacious side of this...Paris Hilton, and her Sidekick II (of which one I own - gulp) had her celebrity friends numbers and emails, notes, photos, and some of her emails all published on the internet. The hackers got to this through the accompanying web site that syncs with all the information placed on her Sidekick. The list of celebrities was somewhat extensive, wonder if they will giver her their numbers if she asks for them again?

In a related but bigger story is that "Court records suggest the hacker was in T-Mobile's systems for at least a year, ending with his arrest in October 2004." This guy hacked into the server and obtained Secret Service information...and was publishing it on IRC chat circles.A friend of Jacobsen's (hacker) in the IRC community, William Genovese, confirmed that account, and said Jacobsen gave him copies of digital photos that celebrities had snapped with their cell phone cameras. Last month Genovese provided SecurityFocus with an address on his website featuring what appears to be grainy candid shots of Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Nicole Richie, and Paris Hilton. He said Wednesday that he's since removed the photos at Jacobsen's request.

T-Mobile declined to discuss specific victims. Reached by phone, Hilton's manager said the company has not notified Hilton of a breach.

Now free on bail and living in Oregon, Jacobsen faces a maximum possible sentence of five years imprisonment. Sentencing is set for the 16th of May. Full story about Jacobsen.

But besides the MASSIVE amounts of comment fodder this has created, every so often a voice like this has sounded off;

This hack makes me think about the desperate actions celebs (and others) have been forced to take to ensure small facets of their lives remain private. A constant invasion like this in no small way led to the death of Princess Diana. This is not really on topic, but I have long been of the opinion that half of all money made from any media exploitation is owed to the subject involved, be it celeb, or just an average joe on the evening news (unless the subject has committed a crime.) A celeb, for example, could give the extra money to a favorite charity and have comfort knowing that every paparazzi photo is benefiting causes they care about. (Or it could just go to their bank account). Of course this may be impossible to implement, but it sure would help take the sting off the invasion. So pay up engadget; you owe all these victims half the Vonage Ad money I see on this page! P.S. I also peeked at the pictures!
reply to a post from Engadget

Then there is this..."paris made me change my number" t-shirts for sale.

On a personal note...I'm not propogating BrainBlenders with celebrity numbers, Paris Hilton photos,  and such...I wrote this article as an entertainment piece with a slightly (very slightly) more serious note...your security online is still questionable. Just be aware that whatever you THINK is locked down... is NOT completely invulnerable. On a related note: AmyWafl sent me this link...about mobile viruses that is also applicable.  That's why the CIA stores all it's important stuff...offline. Just a thought, not a completely paranoid one...but a thought.

Update to the Cabir Virus - Thanks AmyWafl

Comments

[cancer]

You mean that wasn't real...now I feel like a fool. I wish I'd never made that call.

[a.brain]

I've already received one "serious" call about my name being in the address book... hilarious!!

[AmyWafl]

Sorry -- the entire link didn't show up ... Abrain said he would post the link for me.

[AmyWafl]

Call me an old-fashioned 25-year-old, but storing everything electronically REALLY makes me nervous ... not that I've got any phone numbers that hackers would want to find, but there are concerns about personal information being available (e.g., identity fraud) or the simple fact that electronics can crash and then you lose everything!

Here's a link with more info on the Cabir virus that is appearing on cell phones. Evidently it's not something to go into a panic about...

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/0/2805ED4CD7CD4CF486256FB100131FE1?OpenDocument&Headline='Cabir'+phone+virus+is+bad,+but+not+that+bad