Using a mobile web proxy to surf the web could reveal your mobile phone number. That's the warning from Collin Mulliner, a security researcher and PhD student at Berlin's Technische Universitat, who was speaking at last week's CanSecWest conference.
Some mobile networks use proxy servers to reformat web pages to fit on the smaller screens of 'non-smartphones'. The operator intercepts the customer's internet data, identifies the web site they want and then provides a 'friendlier' version of the chosen web site.
However, Mr Mulliner says a number of mobile operators are adding information that could reveal the customer's identity to the web site owner. Based on mobile web traffic to his own site, he says the SIM identity number, customer account numbers and mobile phone numbers have all been sent by network operators on some occasions. [Sources: Mulliner.org; PCWorld.com]