# Is this simple flip-phone secure?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 12, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369 "2020-03-12T21:30:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LynnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369/1 "2020-03-12T21:30:33Z")

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I have a simple flip-phone–an “Alcatel onetouch 3G”–that I use for voice conversation only, no apps or other misc stuff. I add time every 3-months w/TracFone.

Is it safe/secure to use this phone for telephone banking? I’m not clear about encryption etc. Is a landline phone safer than this cell phone?

Info appreciated–

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369/2 "2020-03-12T22:03:12Z")

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Yes.  
Nobody is going to eavesdrop on your calls.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369/3 "2020-03-12T22:43:56Z")

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A digital phone (which all cellphones nowadays are) would be _more_ secure than an analog one (which I think is still typical for landlines). With an analog, you just need to tap the line to eavesdrop. With digital, you need to do that, and also crack the encryption.

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369/4 "2020-03-12T23:52:41Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> A digital phone (which all cellphones nowadays are) would be _more_ secure than an analog one (which I think is still typical for landlines). With an analog, you just need to tap the line to eavesdrop. With digital, you need to do that, and also crack the encryption.

The phone is transmitting over radio, so you would not need to tap anything, just have an appropriately placed antenna. You would still need to crack the encryption (NB 3G encryption is not particularly secure). Or you could tap into the base station. Or bug his or her house. But, what is the threat here? That some signals intelligence pro deploy expensive resources to overhear his calls and find out his bank balance or PIN number?

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-simple-flip-phone-secure/849369/5 "2020-03-13T18:27:47Z")

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Your main security defense is not being interesting enough to surveil.