Every month, this post focuses on cyber criminals, IT security gaps or new, interesting digital topics. Today, it's about unknown callers.
It is unimaginable that there was a time when all citizens were listed alphabetically, with their address and telephone number printed in a telephone book and publicly accessible. Data protection was not an issue back then. It is actually a miracle that there were not more "advertising calls" in the past.
My cell phone rings at least once a week and it shows a number that I don't recognize. Sometimes from Italy, Germany or France, and often from Switzerland. Every now and then a withheld number rings. And often I've been annoyed by aggressive telemarketers or dubious investment advisors. And that's why I don't answer unknown and withheld numbers. I think to myself that if someone really wants to speak to me, they will leave a message on the answering machine and ask for a call back. In most cases, that doesn't happen... and then it probably wasn't that important - or it was about Bitcoin investments.
Sometimes I google the number and see who the caller might have been. What many people don't know is that my (and your) cell phone can now do this job automatically. If you activate the " Caller ID and SPAM protection " function on a fairly recent Android device, the following happens: If the number is not stored in your contacts, the cell phone checks whether the calling number is associated with an entry in " Google Maps ". If there is a match, the (company) name of the caller is automatically shown on the display. Practical, isn't it?
This function is a little more complicated to set up on an iPhone. You first have to install an app like "search.ch" from Swisscom and then go to " Phone " in the settings and activate " Block and identify calls ". When numbers that are listed in the database call you, the name of the caller is shown on the display - as if they were saved in your own contacts next to Uncle Herbert or Aunt Hildegard.
What's even better is that calls from phone numbers that other users have already marked as aggressive telephone salesmen are automatically blocked. Your phone won't even ring when you receive such calls. You'll then have complete peace of mind.
We at BORTOLI are known for protecting your company and your employees from hacker attacks with practical tips and advice. This also includes information that can be used privately. In the next article, we will show you how you can protect your (grand)parents from grandparent scam callers.