The Security Mentor

No.

Surprised? Enthusiasts, pranksters and worse types have known tricks for years to make false information appear on caller ID.

New technology, as usual, makes things worse. More and more work that used to happen in the phone company's computers is happening at customer sites now. Costs are going down, features are getting better, it's like the PC revolution all over again, but the side effect is that security goes down a little.

You may yawn at the idea that your caller ID display might have the wrong name on it someday. But there's a worse problem. If you've blocked your number from appearing on someone else's caller ID, that may not work any more.

If you're being stalked by a technically sophisticated person, I'd suggest screening calls with your answering machine instead of picking up the phone when you see a trusted name on caller ID. (If you get a harassing call, *57 should still work).

If you run a shelter for battered women, make sure that your address will stay secret even if the unpublished number leaks out.

And if you're the type who likes details, check out Kevin Poulsen's article on SecurityFocus.