Posts Tagged ‘mobile’
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
While internet connectivity continues to appear in all kinds of previously offline-only devices, ABI Research estimates that web browsing on mobile handsets will double within five years. Such mobile browsing comes in a variety of flavors, from feature rich “full internet” to low-memory “proxy-based” browsers, and ABI Research estimates that by 2015 it will be featured on an estimated 3.7 billion mobile phones.
This figure is included in ABI’s latest report, which provides a variety of information on the changing landscape of mobile web browsing.
Tags: mobile, mobile browser, security
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Monday, August 16th, 2010
A new utility has been released by a Russian software developer who claims it can deliver the passwords stored on an iOS 4-based iPhone without any modification to the device itself. Based in Moscow, the company called “Elcomsoft Proactive Software” has previously specialized in password-cracking software that makes use of video graphics processors in consumer-level systems to conduct its high-volume number crunching and “password recovery.”
The iPhone Password Breaker is not the first attempt by developers to release software that compromises iPhone security; however it is the first that does so without any jailbreaking or other changes to the phone’s embedded OS or firmware.
According to The Register, Elcomsoft legitimately markets this tool as a utility for forensic investigators and positions itself as a partner to global law enforcement. There is likely some question as to whether Elcomsoft will sell its products exclusively to these parties, but a free trial version is currently available for public download at their web site.
Tags: iOS, iphone, mobile, security
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Sunday, August 1st, 2010
While Research In Motion’s BlackBerry handsets have found their ways into the briefcases and purses of professionals thanks to the platform’s enterprise-ready security features, it is exactly those traits that officials in the United Arab Emirates seek to prohibit. Citing their inability to perform surveillance on BlackBerry devices being used, the Emirates’ government and a state-sponsored telecom company called Etisalat have announced an upcoming ban on the use of BlackBerry Devices within UAE borders.
According to the New York Times, encrypted data can be sent abroad from the devices, where it cannot be monitored for illegal activity. While authorities claim this can be exploited by terrorists, the UAE government is known to monitor communications for activism and to censor anti-Islamic sentiment.
The ban will present a particular problem for the city of Dubai, which has in recent years attempted to position itself as a destination for business and tourism. Hundreds of thousands of professionals in the area would be without the use of BlackBerry devices that have become embraced by the business community at large.
Tags: blackberry, device, encryption, mobile
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Thursday, July 29th, 2010
An announcement on Monday from Citigroup Financial disclosed that Citi Mobile, the group’s iPhone-based online banking app, contained flaws that could lead to customers’ accounts being compromised. According to the statement, the original app was accidentally designed to store account information in a hidden file within the iPhone’s file structure.
Although Citigroup was quick to recommend an update to their software that would fix the vulnerability, the episode underscores a growing concern over security in mobile devices, especially as more users continue to use smartphones for access to their bank accounts and other sensitive information. Although the iPhone has been considered a safe environment for user information due to its strict control of licensed applications, the vulnerability in Citigroup’s app is a reminder that security flaws will occur within any system over time.
Tags: app, iphone, mobile, security
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Sunday, July 25th, 2010
Mocana today announced that Good Technology has licensed its NanoCrypto cryptographic engine for use on supported mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Palm webOS. Good for Enterprise enables IT administrators to easily define and distribute configuration profiles and enforce compliance policies for devices using the web-based Good Mobile Control console. With solutions that combine a great user experience with the tools that IT needs to manage and protect its mobile enterprise, Good Technology will implement Mocana’s NanoCrypto as their universal security client, protecting against increasingly sophisticated attacks directed specifically at non-PC smart devices.
Good Technology–whose solutions can be found in some of the most sensitive government and business settings–needed a portable, universal crypto solution and the proven expertise of a smart device security leader. They chose Mocana. NanoCrypto is Mocana’s super-fast, super-small, government-certified cryptographic engine, purpose-built for the entire ecosystem of smart devices, of which smartphones are just one category.
Click here to view the full press release.
Tags: android, cryptography, enterprise, good technology, iOS, iphone, mobile, security, symbian, windows mobile
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Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
As mobile devices continue to pull ahead of PCs in widespread connectivity, a new emphasis on security has been embraced by the development community. In line with this recent trend come two new major upgrades from prominent mobile players Google and Research In Motion.
Earlier this week, Google unveiled new device management features for its Google Apps suite aimed at the enforced use of data encryption and password security. Implemented for a variety of platforms such as Windows Mobile, iPhone, and Nokia Series E, the Apps will now wipe passwords after a series of failed attempts, mandate new passwords periodically and automatically trash old passwords. These changes will also reach Google’s own Android platform later this year.
Similarly, Research In Motion introduced an upgrade for its BlackBerry smartphones that targets enterprise use. Included in its 7th release of BlackBerry Enterprise Server Version 5.0.2 is the new Individual-Liable Devices Policy, which enables segregation of corporate and personal BlackBerry use. The new revision also enables remote wiping of corporate data.
Tags: app, blackberry, devices, google, iphone, mobile, security, smartphone
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Monday, July 19th, 2010
Commonly regarded as a more tweak-friendly alternative to Apple’s iPhone OS, Google’s Android OS has carved out a loyal market niche among power mobile users looking to get tricky with their smartphones as well as developers of third party apps that wouldn’t make the cut on Apple’s more stringent App Store. But those who love Android phones for their tweakability may want to think twice before shelling out for Motorola’s Droid X, the new flagship phone released today.
As reported by Venturebeat, the new Droid phone contains “eFuse” technology designed to render itself inoperable, should the smartphone be user-modified.
[eFuse] runs when the phone boots up, and it checks to make sure that the phone’s firmware, kernel information, and bootloader are legit before it actually lets you use the device….If the eFuse failes [sic] to verify this information then the eFuse receives a command to “blow the fuse” or “trip the fuse”. This results in the booting process becoming corrupted and resulting in a permanent bricking of the Phone. This FailSafe is activated anytime the bootloader is tampered with or any of the above three parts of the phone has been tampered with.
Motorola insists that eFuse is a customer-focused security measure that helps to protect user data.
Tags: android, app, apple, droid, google, hack, iphone, mobile, security
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Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Network service provider Ericsson announced Thursday, July 8th that the number of mobile subscriptions active worldwide has reached 5 billion. The recent surge in mobile usage, which include both basic cellular phones and “smart” devices, has been attributed to growth in emerging markets such as China and India.
Ericsson reports that mobile broadband subscriptions are also growing at a rapid pace, and are expected to reach over 3 billion by 2015, a massive increase from the 360 million subscriptions active in 2009. Experts now believe that soon 80% of all people connecting to the internet will doing so from a mobile device.
Tags: devices, internet of things, mobile, security
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Monday, July 12th, 2010
As mobile computing continues to grow with the frequent introduction of new devices worldwide, the mobile application development market becomes an increasingly significant portion of the software industry. However, with the multitude of mobile platforms and delivery options, the field is as fragmented and varied as it is vast.
A new report from VisionMobile aims to demystify the current mobile development landscape, with a comprehensive study based on research conducted with over 400 developers for various platforms such as iPhone, Symbian, Android and Windows Mobile. According to the report,
Android stands out as the platform most popular among mobile developers. Survey results suggest nearly 60 percent of all mobile developers recently developed on Android, assuming an equal number of respondents with experience across each of eight major platforms. Second in terms of developer mindshare is iOS (iPhone), outranking Symbian and Java ME, which were in pole position in 2008.
In addition, the research document contains data regarding:
- the number of apps available for various platforms and in various markets
- the differences in the learning curves that developers face for different platforms
- the effect of app stores and advertising on sales and revenue
Tags: android, apps, devices, iphone, java, mobile, security, symbian
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Monday, May 3rd, 2010
As the mobile market continues to overtake desktop PC’s in sales, designers are under ever-increasing pressure to fit more processing power into smaller spaces, while gaining in energy efficiency as well. Leading chip manufacturers have introduced a number of new designs to pave the way for tomorrow’s mobile devices.
One such innovation is multi-core computing, which fits multiple processing units in one chip to save on energy and speed operations. However, applications must be specially programmed to take full advantage, as is the case with Intel’s Core 2 Duo. Another approach is to design processor cores in a system-specific manner, like Apple’s A4, specifically built for the iPad device.
Other manufacturers are exploring three-dimensional architectures for new processors, employing a multi-layered design to shorten the distance between cores and reduce energy consumption. As chips get smarter, faster and smaller simultaneously, they become more versatile and require less energy to run and this creates new opportunities in device design.
Tags: apple a4, device security, intel core 2 duo, mobile, multi-core computing
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