Cybersecurity Glossary
SIM Swapping
Fraud in which an attacker moves your phone number onto a device they control, and receives your codes.
What SIM Swapping means
The attacker persuades the mobile operator that they are you, often with details gathered from public sources or an earlier breach. Once the number moves, every text message code and voice call verification goes to them. Your phone simply loses service, which people usually blame on the network.
Why SIM Swapping matters for small businesses and nonprofits
Any small business that still relies on text messages for its second factor is one phone call away from losing an account. Owner accounts, banking and domain registrars are the usual targets, and those are exactly the accounts that are hardest to recover.
What to do about SIM Swapping
- Move away from text message codes to an authenticator app or a passkey, starting with money and domains
- Ask your mobile operator to put a port out PIN or a port freeze on the account
- Treat a sudden loss of mobile service as a security event, not a network glitch
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Fraud in which an attacker moves your phone number onto a device they control, and receives your codes.