Dialer

A dialer (

least cost routing

. A line powered dialer does not need any external power but instead takes the power it needs from the telephone line.

Another type of dialer is a

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Many operating systems already contain such a program for connections through the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), such as WvDial

.

Many

Internet connection. They either create an entry in the OS's dialer or install a separate dialer (as the AOL

software does).

In recent years, the term "dialer" often refers specifically to dialers that connect without the user's full knowledge as to cost, with the creator of the dialer intending to commit fraud.

auto-diallers

call centres use various forms of automatic dialler to place outbound calls to people on contact lists.

Fraudulent dialer

Dialers are necessary to connect to the internet (at least for non-

cracks and keygens

.

The cost of setting up such a service is relatively low, amounting to a few thousand dollars for telecommunications equipment, whereupon the unscrupulous operator will typically take 90% of the cost of a premium rate call, with very few overheads of their own.

Users with

ISDN adapter or additional analog modem

is installed, the dialer might still be able to get a connection.

Malicious dialers can be identified by the following characteristics: ^[citation needed]

A download popup opens when opening a website.
On the website there is only a small hint, if any, about the price.
The download starts even if the cancel button has been clicked.
The dialer installs as default connection without any notice.
The dialer creates unwanted connections by itself and without user interaction.
The dialer does not show any notice about the price (only few do) before dialing in.
The high price of the connection is not being shown while connected
The dialer cannot be uninstalled, or only with serious effort.

Installation routes

Computers running Microsoft Windows without anti-virus software or proper updates could be vulnerable to

Microsoft Office Outlook, Outlook Express and Internet Explorer are especially affected if running ActiveX controls and JavaScript is allowed and the latest security patches from Microsoft

have not been installed. In March 2004, there were malicious dialers that could be installed through fake

E-mail spam from a so-called "AntiVirus Team" for example, contained download links to programs named "downloadtool.exe" or "antivirus.exe", which are malicious dialers. Other ways of transmission include electronic greeting cards that link to pages that tricks the user to install ActiveX

controls, which in turn install dialers in the background.

Therefore, links in

downloads should be canceled as soon as discovered, and one should check on each dial-up to the Internet to see whether the displayed phone number is unchanged. Another way to protect oneself is to disable premium numbers through one's phone

services, but of course this disables all such services.

One should never run foreign code in a privileged environment unless the source is trustworthy. It is also advisable to protect oneself with anti-malware programs.

German regulatory law

On 15 August 2003, a new law came into effect in Germany called "Gesetz zur Bekämpfung des Missbrauchs von (0)190er/(0)900er Mehrwertdiensterufnummern" ("Law for the combat of misuse of (0)190/(0)900 value added service numbers").

The law contains the following regulations:

Forced price notices for service providers.
Maximum price limits, legitimacy checks and automatic disconnects.
Registration of dialers.
Blocking of dialers.
Right of information for consumers from the RegTP.

On 4 March 2004 the

Federal Supreme Court in Karlsruhe

decided that fees for the usage of dialers do not have to be paid if it was used without the user's knowledge.

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Dialer

auto-diallers

Fraudulent dialer

Installation routes

German regulatory law

See also

References