Cyber-Security Sidebar:
Data Theft to Go
The wireless industry fights back as hackers target untethered devices.
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E-mailNearly 55,000 new malicious software (or malware) threats against mobile devices occurred each day in 2010, reports security software firm McAfee Inc. Breaches involving mobile devices now account for more than a third of data theft. Threats such as GGTracker, which tricked cell-phone users into clicking a link that sent text messages to numbers that charge premium rates, are up.
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“As an operator, our responsibility is not limited to offering access and connectivity, but extends to guaranteeing a complete and secure Internet experience,” insists Javier García de Castro, global director of security at Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF). That means providing a wide range of solutions for users, he notes, from protecting against software viruses to securing wireless transmissions.
Here’s what wireless manufacturers and carriers are doing to protect their customers.
Protecting Stolen Phones Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) offers encryption for phone memory cards, as well as remote lockout and remote wipe (to erase all data) in the case of loss or theft. That’s especially important as more attacks target devices used by senior government and company officials while traveling.
46% Rise in new malware threats against mobile devices between 2009 and 2010
Stopping Bad Apps Some malware threats first arrived on phones in the form of rewritten or fake apps that stole password and credit-card information while an unsuspecting user played a game, for example. Carriers such as Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) use outside security firms to run antivirus checks on apps, as well as monitor and track more than 1 million mobile apps daily. Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) also promotes free mobile scanning software.
Security Patches Like that of PCs, mobile-phone software needs regular security updates. Enterprise software company SAP AG’s (NYSE: SAP) device management solution Afaria lets companies back up mobile-phone data and automatically update programs on mobile devices.
Checking the Connection Wireless transmissions can be intercepted. So carriers such as Telefónica monitor network traffic patterns looking for behavior that might indicate criminal intent. Mobile-device makers, such as Nokia, include software that authenticates users and provides secure, encrypted data connections between a user’s handset and a company’s computer systems.
