Category: Mobile Security

Fujitsu takes on the growing problem of mobile security

Mobile security has become a major issue for consumers all over the world. As more people engage in things like mobile commerce and mobile marketing, they are becoming prime targets for hackers and malicious groups bent on exploiting financial and personal information. To combat the growing concerns that are emerging in the mobile security world, new solutions are being developed and released at a rapid pace. Fujitsu Laboratories, a leading developer of IT products and services, is one of the companies responsible for a new generation of mobile security solutions.

New security platform in development

Fujitsu has announced the development of a new security platform for smart phones, called the Mobile Enterprise Application Platform. The platform is being designed specifically to protect corporate data, but may eventually become a widely used tool throughout the mobile market. One of the things that has garnered Fujitsu’s new platform a great deal of attention is the fact that it is HTML 5-based. The platform also incorporates cloud computing, creating what Fujitsu believes to be a highly secure system.

Platform provides access to HTML 5 applications

The platform connects a  smart phone to a cloud-based computer server, which provides users with access to a wide variety of corporate applications, such as email, sales databases, and customer information, all as HTML 5 applications. These applications are available for all smart phones because they are based on HTML 5 rather than the programming languages exclusive to the iOS and Android platforms. The cloud network encrypts the information that users access, thereby creating an extra layer of security.

Cloud network protected by strict security features

The platform also imposes a variety of security measures on a mobile device while it is connected to the cloud network. When a device makes the connection, for example, the platform will deactivate the device’s camera and prohibit a user from taking pictures of the screen through their device’s internal services. The platform also restricts Internet access to avoid the possibility of visiting malicious websites or downloading malware. Once the connection with the cloud network is severed, however, the device  becomes from off these restrictions.

The British authority will enable smartphone and tablet funds transfers among all bank accounts.

The Payments Council in the United Kingdom has announced that the launch of its mobile payments service in 2014 will enable funds transfers among all bank accounts in the country.

Support has already been expressed by Barclays Bank, which will be taking part in the movement.

Barclays Bank has stated that it is in favor of mobile payments, but it will not be alone in providing the service. According to the Payments Council, by the spring of 2014, it will have made it possible for 90 percent of British banks to offer this type of smartphone friendly service.

Customers at Barclays are already using mobile payments through the Pingit app.

This application allows smartphone users to be able to make payments to any bank account in the United Kingdom, provided that the smartphone number of the recipient is on the contact list of the sender.

There are currently eight financial institutions – comprising 90 percent of the current bank accounts in the United Kingdom – which have already made their commitment to offering the new mobile payments service as of the spring of next year. It is expected that they will soon be joined by additional banking institutions, as well. Among those that have already signed up are Barclays, Danske Bank, RBS, HSBC, Cumberland Building Society, Lloyds Banking Group, Metro Bank, and Santander.

There has already been a tremendous adoption of the Pingit app, as the first five days following its release saw over 120,000 downloads. Responding to the considerable demand for using mobile payments, Barclays found itself lowering the minimum age of use from 18 years old, to 16 years old. At the same time, it also increased the transaction value limit.

The Payments Council CEO, Adrian Kamellard, said that “The mobile payments project is a fantastic example of the unique role the Payments Council can play in delivering far-reaching, innovative improvements for customers.” He went on to explain that the newly offered service will provide consumers with a convenient and secure way for sending money to a friend, splitting the bill at a restaurant, or paying a contractor without having to share any bank account details other than a telephone number.