Smartphones really are amazing devices. They’re not just for making calls and checking your calendar anymore. I love the always on internet access and I love the multimedia capabilities of my phone. I also love that I can download all sorts of apps to take advantage of these capabilities and extend the functionality of my mobile device. I’m always on the lookout for a great new app.

I came across a podcast client called Mediafly the other day, and have been really impressed with it. I am using their application on my Android phone. They also have versions of their software for Blackberry, iPhone, and WebOS (from Palm). I was surprised to see that they do not list Windows Mobile and Symbian as supported platforms. As expected, they also can sync to MP3 players like iPods, Zunes, or Sandisk Sansa players through a desktop application. Not so expected though, is support for some set top boxes like Roku or Popcorn Hour.

A podcast is a show released for download on the Internet. Some are audio only, like radio, others are video. Some are even in HD! Podcasts are released through a feed that allows you to subscribe to them with special client software so that the newest episodes are automatically downloaded and ready for you to enjoy.

In my opinion, the best feature of the Mediafly software is the ability to manage my subscriptions via the Mediafly website on my PC. I can browse an extensive catalog of shows from many different sources. When I subscribe to a particular show, it shows up automatically on my phone so that I can listen to it on the go. I don’t have to sync my phone to my PC, the show is downloaded over the air through my data plan.

I listen to a number of different podcasts, and with Mediafly, I can always make sure I have the most recent episode with me wherever I am, no more forgetting to sync my iPod to my PC to get the new shows. If you’re interested in exploring some of the great content available as podcasts, some of my favorite shows come from the TWiT Network, CNet, and NPR.

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Early last week, PGP Corporation and the Ponemon Institute released the results of their joint venture, 5th annual, 2009 Annual Study: Cost of a Data Breach. In an effort to save our readers from the imminent snore fest that will follow downloading this report, here are some of the highlights of the study:

Key Findings:

• 36% of the cases studied involved lost or stolen mobile devices
• 42% of the cases studied involved 3rd part mistakes or flubs
• 24% of the cases involved a malicious or criminal attack that resulted in the loss or theft of personal information
• Data breaches from malicious attacks and botnets doubled from 12% to 24% in 2009
• The total cost to the enterprise rose from $202 to $204 per compromised record
• The average organizational cost of a data breach increased from $6.65 million to $6.75 million in 2009 with the magnitude of the event ranging from 5,000 to more than 101,000 lost or stolen records.

The study goes on to discuss preventative measures that include industry best practices that include manual and policy approaches as well as automated IT security solutions. The report identifies the most effective technologies as:

• Encryption (including whole disk encryption and for mobile devices/smartphones
• Data loss prevention (DLP) solutions
• Identity and access management solutions
• Endpoint security solutions and other anti-malware tools

It then goes on to encourage enterprises to look for centralized management of IT security solutions so they can automatically enforce IT security best practices throughout the organization. None of these recommendations should be considered ground breaking ideas. Security professionals have been working diligently over the past decade or longer to bring these types of solutions and protection capabilities into their enterprises. In many cases, regulatory requirements for the most targeted industries have forced the hands of budget managers to embrace these automated technologies, often to the benefit of their customer base. In other cases, where regulation has not been effective at encouraging an organization to perform their due diligence, the threat of the loss of customer base or reputation has provided the necessary ammunition for IT departments to convince budget managers to embrace security as a business decision.

What this study does reveal is that enterprise protections still need to be extended to the mobile user. Knowing that 1 in 3 data breaches were the result of an attack on a mobile device underscores that fact. Mobile users are gaining increasing access to corporate data from networks that cannot be controlled or monitored and are often open to the general public. Mobile smartphone devices continue to lack even the basic protections that laptops receive, yet the same data can and is being accessed.

Of the preventative solutions that were provided in the study, 2 of the 4 can be directly applied to smartphone devices at the consumer level. When considering the recommendation that encourages organizations to look for enterprise management solutions for automated protections, enterprise smartphone users can leverage 3 of the 5 recommendations, today.

In our experience, limiting physical access to the device and encrypting the data that resides on the device may be the single most effective way of protecting data in the case that a handset is lost or stolen. When encryption and passcodes are coupled with endpoint security applications on smartphones that allow for remote lock/wipe and GPS locate, the risk of losing sensitive data declines immensely.

When considering the risk to data from an automated or malicious attack, mobile anti-virus and anti-spyware applications provide the endpoint protections necessary to identify if your device is infected with malware. Currently, this technology is incredibly affordable and available to enterprise users and consumers alike. Just as no sane user would consider conducting any type of business from a computer without, at least, an anti-virus program running, smartphone users should be employing the same logic. To address the fifth recommendation for enterprises to look for enterprise managment solutions when providing endpoint security solutions, SMobile offers an enterprise solution that is tailored specifically towards easing administration and configuration woes and simplifies routine analysis of enterprise devices.

Corporate and personal data is under attack, both as it resides inside the enterprise and when it’s being manipulated on mobile devices and smartphones. Consumers and enterprises only do themselves and their customers an injustice when they continue to treat these devices with deference, as compared to other computing devices.

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In the waning days of 2008, a survey was commissioned by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Cosmogirl.com to explore electronic activity of teens and young adults. I’m not entirely certain, but this may have been one of the first comprehensive looks at the tendencies of teens towards sharing themselves (photographically) with their companions and complete strangers. A simple Google search indicates that since this study was commissioned, interested parties are taking notice of the wave that is sweeping across the world. More recently, MTV and the Associated Press teamed up to revisit the realities of sexting amongst teens. These results may be surprising to some, but they certainly are not to me.

Government agencies, non-profits, news outlets, and software companies all have a dog in the fight. NBC’s award winning television show “To Catch a Predator” brought the scary reality of online predators targeting underage children for sexual exploitation to primetime. Teens are bombarded by sexually suggestive content day in and day out. Often they are approached on Facebook or MySpace by acquaintances and strangers, alike, with the ultimate goal of sexualizing the conversation. According to the MTV-AP study, 3 in 10 young people have been involved in some form of nude sexting. Nearly two-thirds of those report that they were actively pressured into sharing nude photos with the other party. Strikingly, 29% of those that participated in sexting did so with someone they only knew online or had never even met. The only (somewhat) assuring statistic that I read in these studies is that the overall incidence statistic is slightly higher amongst 18-24 year olds (33%) when compared to 14-17 year olds (24%)…for what it’s worth.

I could go on and on quoting statistics that would frighten even the most sexually liberated parent or family in the world. But, I think it may be enlightening to consider what those involved in sexting think about this phenomenon. In doing so, I’d like to point to the comments section of an article written about the first study I discussed. It’s painfully obvious that many of the comments that support the act of sexting are coming from teens or children. They see no problem with it, which is why it becomes the responsibility of the parent putting this type of technology in their hands to protect them from themselves. If protecting your children’s innocence doesn’t provide the peace of mind necessary, consider their reputations, safety and even legal trouble that they could find themselves in.

Mobile phones and smartphone devices offer naturally curious teens the ability to explore their sexuality, almost at will. Teens are especially susceptible to peer pressure because they just want to be liked and identified as popular. Even as adults, we may all notice how much easier it is to say something over text message that we would never say if the person was standing in front of us. The difference being that (most) adults are emotionally and developmentally equipped to make informed decisions and accept the consequences of their actions.

This is where software companies have placed their dog in the fight. For years, we’ve seen companies like Net Nanny make a very profitable impact in assisting parents in having some sort of peace of mind in knowing that their children aren’t becoming targets of online predators on PCs. Here at SMobile, we’ve taken that concept of monitoring our family’s communication to mobile devices and we do it better than anyone in the world. Of course, SMobile’s Parental Controls and Monitoring is only one aspect of our software offerings for smartphones. Which is why I’m breaking my personal rule of mixing advertising and product support when blogging about security subjects.

In researching these statistics I came across the article that I linked to that shows the comments of teens supporting sexting. However, before I even got to the comments section, I noticed that the author of the article was actively advocating the use of monitoring software in order to detect this type of activity. Obviously, I’m a proponent of this type of technology when the software is on the up and up. In this particular instance, the author provides a link to a product named “Mobile Spy”. SMobile, along with many of the other leading mobile anti-virus vendors accurately categorizes “Mobile Spy” as a spyware application because it actively tries to obfuscate and hide itself and its true intentions from the user being monitored. There are any number of 3rd party applications that are available to attackers that allow them to be installed on a target device, unbeknown to the victim.

At SMobile, we believe that it is imperative that this type of software capability be handled in a transparent manner. While I’m in firm agreement that children have absolutely no right to privacy while they are considered to be in custodial care of a parent, I also believe that if parents want to monitor their children’s online and mobile activities, they need to do it in a manner that the children know it is happening. Secondarily, the responsible use of software that is regularly tied to nefarious spying, communication interception aimed at supposed cheating spouses, identity theft and theft of corporate data or trade secrets sends the wrong message. Paradoxically, we often see this type of spyware being used in furtherance of cyber stalking and/or harassment of unwilling participants. Certainly, software suites such as “Mobile Spy” can assist a parent in monitoring their children’s activity. But the clandestine manner in which the tools exist on the mobile device also lends their functionality to criminal activity. I believe the same precautions can be taken by parents by employing products that inform the user that they are being monitored for their own safety.

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Mobile Phone Security

The cell phone and smart phone industry have rapidly developed in the United States and across the world. The days of the phone being used as simply a voice device has come and gone. Today each cell phone has become a small PC in the pocket of each person.

Though the public may remember the basic rules of security when using their home PC’s, they quickly forget that the same risks apply to there cell phones as well. The apple IPhone has set a new standard as to who is using the new generation of smart phones as well as redefining the applications that will be run on the device.

Read more on Mobile Security Threats and Prevention

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Everyday I receive calls from tormented men and women who are convinced that their soon to be ex-spouse is spying on them. Many times this is a reality causing unnecessary mental anguish, family turmoil, and financial ruin. Mobile Security should be one of the first steps taken to avoid yet another attack or threat from a disgruntled spouse or partner.

If you keep asking yourself “How is he/she getting this information”, “How do they know I went to…” chances are spying software or surveillance equipment is being utilized. Thoroughly check your home and vehicle. Be aware of your surroundings. Personal and family security rests on the individuals shoulders. Take all the precautions you can to include your mobile devices. After all, mobile phones are one of a hand full of items you have in your possession 24/7. What better way for someone to track and monitor you.

Being a retired military man I have continued to live by this simple but effective Army motto… “Be safe, be aware, and be secure.”

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