Phone phreaking, a term that's been around for years, is used to describe the process of interfering with a phone or phone system. Popularised by the rise of the internet, and the introduction of bulletin-board systems (BBS) and dial-up internet. In the early days of dial-up, calls were relatively expensive, and those wishing to spend hours online experiementing with computer security began taking advantage of the poor security of phone networks, in order to receive free calls.
In the age of high-speed broadband and smartphones, phreaking is just as widespread, but can be seen to have merged somewhat with traditional hacking, and cracking. Modern phreaking, while still involving linelines, mobile lines, phone exchanges CAB boxes, and knowledge of phone wiring, now involves the security of Voice Over IP (VoIP), digital voicemail, wireless and mobile internet access (WIFI, WLAN, GPRS, HSPA). As service providers continue to move to converged networks, where voice, video and data are all delt with together, phreaking will merge further with highly technical hacking.
A phone phreak is someone who engages in the act of phone phreaking. Commonly, a phone phreak would have a general interest in computer security, using phone phreaking to extend their potential, or perhaps to help hide their tracks, by carrying out their attacks while piggybacking on a phone line belonging to someone else.
Phone phreaking is anything but dead, with a mobile phone offering more possibilities for abuse than a landline. Mobile phones have introduced SIM cloning, caller ID spoofing and remote bugging, as well as continuing the traditional ideas of free calling. New mobile technologies have also introduced mobile internet, which combined with phreaking techniques can provide an anonymous method of computer exploitation, from remote locations.
© 2010 Phone Phreak