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The SMobile Blog
Securing Your Mobile Device…Part 2
In my first segment of the “Securing Your Mobile Device” series, I talked about some very simple configuration changes that should be immediate, but standard across every Smartphone platform. Now that we’ve set a passcode on our handset and disabled some services that might lend our new mobile device to the curiosity of the run-of-the-mill snooping miscreant, let’s take a look at what might be the next thing we need to consider with our new handset. (For my BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian readers, hang with me for a few seconds as I set this all up. The information will still apply to you.)
One of the first things I did when I got my Android (besides rooting it) was to check out the apps that I could tinker with from the Android Market. I’m sure the same could be said for my iPhone friends and the iTunes App Store. I found all kinds of goodies that I thought would be fun to play with. There was an app to manage my backgrounds, several useful ones to better my keyboard (hint!) and typing experience, apps for managing RSS feeds, some mobile news roundups, tools and utilities for me to manage the innards of my device, some connectivity tools and I even came across one that would teach me the secrets of the Kama Sutra. The point is that there are now over 20,000 apps in the Android Market that users can either pay for (often at a reasonable price) or simply download free of charge. Android and iPhone users will undoubtedly spend hours upon hours in the first few months of owning their device looking for apps to streamline their daily routine and interactions.
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Android is the Future of Mobile Devices
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I think Google’s Android operating system is the future for mobile devices like smart phones. That’s not to say that Apple’s iPhone isn’t a great device. It is. Touch screen phones wouldn’t be what they are today without Apple pushing the envelope in the last few years, but, the iPhone has one big problem. Apple. Apple has created a closed system, and, while that closed system has allowed Apple to produce a great product thus far, it will ultimately be the reason that Android surpasses the iPhone.
Android is a great operating system for mobile devices. There are some aspects that aren’t quite as polished yet, but overall, It has significantly closed the lead that Apple has had in terms of functionality, quality, and user experience. The openness of the Android platform is what I think will propel it into the lead over the next two years.
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Haitian Tragedy Could Lead to Fraud
On Tuesday, the people and country of Haiti found themselves to be the victims of a great tragedy, in the form of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the country. Waking up this morning we’re seeing, as it should be, humanitarian efforts popping up all around us. While those efforts are almost always of the best intentions, it is worth mentioning that tragedies such as this always seems to bring the worst creatures of our species from the woodworks.
With nearly every major tragedy we have seen over the last decade, we’ve seen good hearted people that have donated time and (possibly more importantly) money to the efforts to re-stabilize the affected. Unfortunately, we also see fraudsters and criminals use these tragedies as a means to make a quick buck off of the backs of those individuals that would like to help.
I will not attempt to take a look at all of the charity efforts underway and attempt to determine what is real and what is fake, but I would like to take this time to caution everyone that would like to donate to be somewhat cautious when and how they choose to donate. You will likely be approached in person, over email, on television, the radio and now I would highly expect to see these same types of offers finding their way into your mobile devices.
I would expect to see “TXT to Donate” offers where, I would assume, you will be asked to send an SMS message to some short code SMS premium number that will automatically charge your mobile account and will deposit the funds into some sort of relief fund. While I’m certain there will be legitimate “TXT to Donate” type funds setup that will undoubtedly pass the funds on to those in need, I can guarantee that there will be just as many, if not more that are completely fraudulent. I’m equally as certain that smartphone applications will also begin popping up that purport to provide some sort of support to the relief efforts as well. I would just like to caution everyone to be vigilent, perform your due diligence when choosing how and where to donate your money to the relief efforts that will ensue.
When in doubt, please look to the time-tested, standard organizations for providing your support. I hear the Red Cross is always a good place to direct your assistance efforts….
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Securing Your Mobile Device…Part 1:
Now that the holidays have come and gone, it’s time to settle in to our normal work routines for the long haul to spring. Most of us have had ample time to tinker around with the new gadgets and gizmo’s we got for Christmas and have likely become at least comfortable navigating our way through the menus and settings on our shiny new Smartphones. Now is probably the right time to start thinking about securing those devices.
As SMobile has shown in the various whitepapers and research projects published at our Global Threat Center, different Smartphone platforms offer different levels and types of possibilities for securing access to the systems and the data they hold. For instance, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian all offer the ability to set a passcode on the handset to gain access to the device. Some platforms offer stronger protections than others, but they all attempt to limit prying eyes from gaining easy access to your device. It is also extremely effective in preventing an attacker from installing software that we affectionately refer to as “Spyware”. Nearly every variant of spyware that we have analyzed here at SMobile requires that the attacker physically install and perform at least some very basic initial configurations in order for the software to function properly. The bottom line is that configuring your device to require a passcode be entered for access to be granted may be the single most effective way of keeping your information secure.
Read more about securing your Smartphone…
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Gadgets
I’m a gadget geek. I freely admit it. I love electronic gadgets, and that’s all there is to it. What’s better, I get to play with gadgets for a living. Is this great or what?! Each week, I’m going to take a little bit of time to write here and reflect gadgets, technology, and maybe a little bit of news here and there. As you would expect, being on the SMobile site, I will generally focus on mobile technology.
New mobile “devices” (as they’re called in the industry) come out constantly, and each round is more capable than the last. Something I find very interesting is how mobile gadgets are changing our lives. They offer us a level of connectivity to the world around us that has never been possible before. It wasn’t long ago that my cell phone could do little more than make phone calls. If you were on the cutting edge, you had a slick little flip phone with a camera built in. If you were lucky, you had a camera with enough resolution that you could actually tell who you had taken the picture of! Now, I can’t imagine having a phone that can not surf the web, shoot video, run custom applications to do things like update Twitter or Facebook, and give me directions to the nearest coffee shop.
Unless you live in a very remote area, you probably have access to at least one carrier’s mobile data network. Just about anywhere, you can have an always-on connection to the internet in the palm of your hand. Combine that with a touch screen interface, and you literally have the world at your fingertips.
Check back regularly, and explore the world of gadgets and mobile technology with me!
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