St. Petersburg, Florida -- The voice mail hacking scandal brewing on the the other side of the pond poses a good question... just how safe is your voice mail?
Read: Murdoch "Shocked, appalled, and ashamed."
Let's be honest, most of us don't exactly have voice messages that would interest others, however that doesn't mean you can't fall victim to a voice mail hacker.
"There are several problems with security on a cell phone and this probably is the biggest open door there is," explained W.F. Casey Ebsary, a criminal trial lawyer specializing in technology issues.
He says the problem is most of us do not have our voice mail password protected.
"The default setting for some cellular networks provides that when you dial your voicemail number and you're dialing from the phone number the account is registered under, the phone will not require a passcode to enter the voice mail system," Ebsary explained.
Verizon is among the only companies that requires users to create a password to access their voicemail, according to our media partner USA Today.
Even if you keep your phone close by you at all times, Ebsary points out there's a technology called "Caller ID spoofing". Caller ID spoofing is nothing new, in fact the Truth in Caller ID Act outlaws using it to defraud or cause harm to someone.
The spook essentially allows someone to clone your phone number and trick your system into thinking it's you calling to check in.
If you don't have your voice mail password protected, it's the open door into your private messages.
"It's scary," said Ebsary.
But don't even think about doing this. It's not only dishonest, it's illegal.
"It's a very serious violation, let me be clear about that. To access somebody's password protected voice mail and electronic communication such as their email, that would very a very serious violation, surely a felony punishable by state and federal law," said Brian Albritton, former US Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
Albritton says the seriousness of the offense may be the reason we do not see a rampant problem with voice mail hacking.
But, as we all know just because something is illegal doesn't mean someone out there won't do it.
So, Ebsary says if you haven't already created a password for your voice mail now is the time because most cell phone carriers, except for Verizon do not require one.
He reminds, it's not just your voice mail at stake, "Once it dials into your voice mail, it says you have X number of messages, would you like to change your settings, would you like to change your call forwarding...all of these options are available as long as the system thinks it's receiving a call from a subscriber's handset."
It's not just your voice mail that needs protection, you may also want to consider changing your other passwords on a regular basis to keep one step ahead of anyone who may want to access your information.
This includes your email, banking and shopping websites.
If it seems like too much to keep track of, there's an APP for that. Ebsary recommends Splash ID, which he uses to create passwords and encrypt them so only he access them.
Ebsary says email can also be spoofed, so be cautious about emails you receive from big companies. Your best bet is to look up the number in a phone book or on a trusted phone number search web-site and call the company to confirm.
As always, it's never recommend to give out any personal information via the internet or over the phone if it's solicited.