Executives at some of Britain's biggest companies are using mobile phones that can be secretly tracked and bugged, despite a series of Times investigations demonstrating gaping holes in handset security. During tests at the offices of Shell, BP, HSBC and Goldman Sachs, The Times identified 95 phones potentially vulnerable to a new form of hacking known as "bluesnarfing". . . .
Executives at some of Britain's biggest companies are using mobile phones that can be secretly tracked and bugged, despite a series of Times investigations demonstrating gaping holes in handset security.

During tests at the offices of Shell, BP, HSBC and Goldman Sachs, The Times identified 95 phones potentially vulnerable to a new form of hacking known as "bluesnarfing".

Under the process, which threatens mobile phones that use Bluetooth wireless technology, hackers can download text messages, phone lists and even remotely tamper with handsets to enable them to be used as listening devices.

Last week The Times identified 46 phones that could have been vulnerable to attack during a 12-minute test in the central lobby of the Palace of Westminster.

During our latest experiment, we had the ability to access the phone of a Shell employee supplying aviation fuel to aircraft companies and bug the handsets of chauffeurs driving executives. At the offices of Shell, a passive scan showed that 19 phones would have accepted an unauthorised Bluetooth connection. None was made, to avoid infringement of the Computer Misuse Act.

Of these, 13 were Nokias and five were Ericssons. The Nokia 6310 and 6310i, the most popular business phones in the UK, and the Ericsson T610, one of the best-selling picture phones, have proved to be the most insecure.