In June 2007 the European Union approved the use of cellphones on passenger airliners. Although most airlines and aviation authorities have yet to allow cellphone use in the air, it is only a matter of time. So, apart from being irritated by your fellow passengers talking throughout the flight, why else should you be worried? Well, if you are doing business during the flight, either on a laptop, looking at documents or discussing plans and issues with colleagues, you should remember that most cellphones now have internal memory, voice recorders and cameras built in. The covert use of such devices to steal information will make it much easier for an adversary to target you if surrounded by passengers using their phones.Remember also that if you are able to receive e-mail on a Blackberry or similar device, your information will also be vulnerable to theft. And, for example, if you visit the WC during the flight, leaving your devices and documents unattended will provide a gift to anyone wishing to access them - your information could be retrieved, forwarded and deleted from the cellphone before you return to your seat. Traveller's information is already under threat from a variety of technical and non-technical sources; this latest approval for cellphone use adds another layer of threat.
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