Tag: mobile security

Mobile security standards run afoul of trade groups

| December 22, 2012

Mobile Security ProblemsTrade groups pan mobile security standards from federal agency

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, a U.S. federal agency that works to develop standards for various forms of technology, recently proposed new standards for mobile security. The proposal was issued in October of this year and calls for more robust mobile security measures to be implemented in order to keep consumers safe from exploitation. Since the proposal was released, however, it has been panned by trade groups that suggest that the standards being introduced are not practical.

Trade group suggests hardware standards could lead to trouble

The Telecommunications Industry Association, a trade group that develops consensus-based industry standards for information and communication technologies, is one of the more outspoken opponents of the proposed mobile security standards. According to the trade group, the proposed standards suggest that mobile security be bolstered through architectural means. This suggests that mobile devices must make use of different hardware than what currently industry standards call for, which could cause problems among trade groups and within the communications industry itself.

Drastic measures may be needed to ensure mobile security

Mobile security is becoming an increasingly serious problem. More consumers are using mobile devices today than they ever have in the past. As consumers become more reliant on these mobile devices in their daily lives, they are becoming ideal targets for hackers who wish to exploit the valuable information that is contained on such devices. The National Institute of Standards and Technology believes that drastic measures may be in order to ensure that mobile security is assured for consumers.

Agency claims better hardware standards are necessary

The National Institute of Standards and Technology suggests that current mobile technology is not adequate enough to ensure the security of consumer information. The agency believes that changes made to the hardware standards that mobile devices are held to are necessary for the sake of mobile security. Trade groups are opposed to this approach because hardware changes mean different standards that could destabilize much of the work that has already gone into standardizing modern mobile technology.

Android mobile security to be put to the test in 2013

| December 20, 2012

Android mobile securitySecurity firms highlight spike in malware targeting Android

Android is one of the most popular smart phone platforms in the world. Tech-savvy consumers praise Android for its variety of features and ease of use, but consumers are not the only ones interested in the platform. According to two firms specializing in mobile security — Eset and Lookout Mobile Security –, Android has become rampantly popular among hackers. These hackers are expected to put a great deal of attention on the Android platform in 2013, introducing a veritable tide of new malware that specifically targets the operating system.

Hackers target Android as operating system becomes more capable of mobile commerce

Google’s Android operating system is among the most powerful and widely used in the world. As such, it is often the subject of interest among hackers who are keen on exploiting the information found on Android mobile devices. Over the years, malware has become more sophisticated in order to adapt to the changes being made to the Android platform. While activity in the hacking community remains high, mobile security firms expect hacking activity to spike in the coming year as Android devices become more popular and capable of participating in mobile commerce.

18 million users expected to fall victim to malware

Lookout Mobile Security predicts that some 18 million Android users throughout the world will have their device affected by malware of some kind. Consumers outside of the U.S. are expected to encounter malware more frequently than those within the U.S. This may be due to the fact that most major hacking groups are located outside of the U.S. in order to avoid some of the harsh penalties the U.S. government has in place to deter hackers.

Mobile security to become a major issue in 2013

While 18 million is certainly a high number, Robert Nelson of Android Community suggests that this number is small when compared to the total number of consumers with Android mobile devices. Nonetheless, mobile security is expected to be a major concern for Android consumers in the coming year. There are various applications that consumers can download to help protect their devices from exploitation, however, and these applications are likely to become more capable as hackers attempt to adopt more sophisticated methods of breaching Android security.