Watch out, mobile hackers about

Millions of mobile phone users could have their handsets hacked into and their personal numbers, diary and pictures stolen, it emerged yesterday.

Mobiles with Bluetooth technology, which uses radio waves to send messages to similarly equipped phones or laptops, could have their signals intercepted in a process known as 'bluesnarfing'.

Bluetooth normally requires the two devices to agree to the 'pairing'.

However, a computer security firm has claimed a hacker could bypass the safeguard and access any Bluetooth phone within 80 yards, just by using a simple programme on a laptop.

AL Digital, based in Chiswick, West London, proved its claim by writing and demonstrating such software, but said something similar could easily be created by a teenage hacker on a PC.

'It would allow, for instance, someone to look at the calendar of their competitor's sales force, giving them a big advantage in the market,' said AL Digital chairman Adam Laurie. 'A paedophile could stand outside a school and pick up addresses on the children's phones.'

The firm said Nokia's 6310, 6310i, 8910, 8910i models and Sony Ericsson's T610 and T68i were most at risk.

Sony Ericsson said its latest models were updated to be 'snarf-proof' and software upgrades would be available for older models by the end of the year.

Nokia said it was taking the claims seriously but the threat was minimal as it concerned a limited number of handsets, and did not work when the Bluetooth function was switched off.