The app

[octave]

People can use the app over a wireless network. If that wireless network is not secure, the phone user is open to being hacked.

 

 

What do you mean by "using it over a wifi network"?

 

The only time you would use wifi is for the initial download of the app. This you would presumably do from your home wifi network.

Edited May 7, 2020 by octave

[Jerry_Atrick]

The flaw will not necessarily be in the COVID app itself., nor, on the assumption it downloads the infor into a big data store, runs analytics and when it needs to, it pings you with a SMS text message to say you need to get tested. The app itself doesn't know much about you and let's face it, the guvmint, if they wanted to track your whereabouts can already use the technology and as I understand, telcos and ISPs have to provide the guvmint the info already.. Certainly the case here and since Aus is part of the 5-eyes alliance (US, UK, AUS, NZ, CAN), I would be surprised if Aus didn't require it, too.

 

The security flaw is this: I install some malware into your phone that hacks yuor phone's data. Can come from anywhere (admittedly a little harder on a non-jail broken iPhone or iPad, but still doable. Now, as the pesky little rooski/ukrainian/nort korean (while we're stereotyping) or Aussie (not stereotyping) hacker says to him or herself, "Hey.. These guys in Aus (and coming up to the UK) are downloading an app that now connects any phone in its proximilty and I now have a tunnel to another phone to infect and hack.

 

Of course, both iOS and Android have safeguards, but application ids can be sppfed (easier said than done - but even whatsapp encrypted comms have been hacked). Agree. it's remote, but possible. It's a question of your aversion to risk v the reward.

[onetrack]

Octave, whenever I'm in the house, my phone switches to the NBN router in the house, via wi-fi, so I save on phone data allowance - particularly when it comes to downloading updates. But my wi-fi is secured by WPA2 level security.

However, there will be others using wi-fi with their phones, who do not have the required level of wi-fi security.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Re my last post - sppfed = spoofed