...piloting their use as standard field issue to every soldier, complete with combat-focused applications [1]. However, smartphones and tablets raise new security issues. They are more likely to be lost or stolen, exposing sensitive data. Malware risks are increased because they connect to the Internet directly rather than from behind corporate firewalls and intrusion-protection systems. Security of mobile devices focuses on controlling access through the use of device locks and hardware data encryption. While this may be sufficient for individual users, it is insufficient for defense needs. Many documented examples exist of hacking of the device lock, as well as defeats of the hardware-level encryption. Once the device is unlocked, there is generally unfettered access to all apps and their associated data. Military applications require additional application-level access controls to provide data security. Unfortunately, there are gaps in the application-level security model of the two predominant mobile operating systems: iOS from Apple and Google Android. Our ongoing research1 looks to address these gaps by developing innovative approaches for fine-grained data protection and access control, taking into account mobile device usage patterns, device characteristics, and usability. Mobile Applications Security Threat Vectors Many threat vectors for infecting personal computers arise from social-engineering attacks that bypass anti-virus defenses. Similar techniques are used in the...
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...Mobile Device Attacks and Their Effect on Your Personal Privacy CIS 4680- Security Issues Paper (Group 6) Over the last decade, smartphones have become more and more popular as the new handheld PC. With its processing power catching up with the PC, it brings much convenience to people’s daily life from fast access to latest information to efficient financial activities. However, with this increase in use of these functions, more security threats have aroused surrounding smartphones. As the mobile operation systems in different devices become more, it is opens more possibility for fast virus propagation and large scale damage. There have been several attacks targeting smartphones and it is a trend that hackers are moving the battlefield from PCs to smartphones because of promising profit and smartphones’ limitations for antivirus work. Hackers are migrating to the new smartphone platform for many reasons. Not only is the profit from smartphone hacking increasing, but as more consumers link their personal accounts (email, social networking, financial, etc.) to their smartphones, the private information of the users opens a window of opportunity. Hackers can infect smartphones to record phone calls, send and delete data messages, and spy on your phone’s activity. It does not only pose great security threats, but also causes an economic loss to common users. This definitely becomes a major issue when businesses are also taking advantage of the portable PC power of smartphones...
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...Mobile Device Security and Other Threats Melissa M Dr. Constance Blanson Theories of Security Management November 30, 2014 Analyze the emerging security threats presented within the “Security Threat Report 2014” Security threats have not only grown and matured quickly, but the people behind these threats have become more creative in camouflaging their work. These criminals have become more adept at eluding their identification and are now relying on cryptography. Malware authors, as with users, are now focusing on mobile devices and web services. Numerous threats were listed in the Security Threat Report 2014 such as botnets, android malware, attacks on Linux platforms and Mac OS X, web-based malware, targeted threats to your financial accounts, unpatched windows systems and re-invented spam. These items are detrimental to companies and users. The more complex these threats get, the harder it is to protect against them. I will analyze botnets and android malware in this section. A botnet is a network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owner’s knowledge. Criminals distribute malicious software that can turn your computer into a “bot”. When this occurs, your computer can perform automated tasked over the Internet without your knowledge. This type of malware is typically used to infect large numbers of computers. They are used to send out spam email messages, spread viruses, attack computers and servers...
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...sharing and even business transactions is exchanged on mobile devices such as laptop computers, palmtops, tablet computers, smartphones and cell phones. The new age group of young people have never known a life without a mobile device with internet capabilities. Mobile Devices are an integral part of personal and social lives it is only logical that users should have awareness of security during the use of mobile devices. Individuals and organisations have both been beneficiaries on the rapid expansion of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Inevitably however, these offerings by mobile devices also bring about security vulnerabilities which users in Thohoyandou are not aware of. According to Lookout principal security analyst Marc Rogers, 2013, following simple precautions like sticking to the Google Play Store can ensure the security of a mobile device. This is rather not always the case as hackers and crackers make use of trustful applications to distribute malware. This study intends to outline security vulnerabilities and deliver clear recommendations on essential security technologies and practices to help mobile device users in Thohoyandou. Correct misconceptions or myths in order to bring about changes in attitudes and usage behaviour. INTRODUCTION The internet has transformed South Africa in just a drastic time, almost anything we see touch visualize is somehow connected to the internet. With systems that create, retrieve, process and...
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...1. CASE SUMMARY Androids is an audit firm which provides audit and consulting services to their clients. Androids & Co started in 1913 when Arthur and Clarence, both from the audit firm of Price, bought out a small audit firm in Illinois to form Arthur, Clarence & Co, which became Androids & Co in 1918. Arthur Androids, who is the founder, headed the firm of Androids & Co until his death in 1945. He was a passionate supporter of high standards in the accounting industry. In 1945, Leonardo Sparky, who handled Androids at the founder’s death, continued this emphasis on honesty. For all these years, Android’s motto was “Think Straight, Talk Straight”. David Lawrence joined Androids twenty years ago and earned a salary of USD 700,000 per annum. David is Androids’ partner and auditor who are responsible in auditing Enronaa’s account since 1987. Enronaa is a client of Androids for the past 16 years. David is one of the Androids’ partners who are responsible to check on Enronaa’s account and to ensure that they fairly representing the state of the business. The issues arise when there are evidences suggesting that Androids assisted Enronaa to sort of increase reported returns of off-balance sheet activities by units called raptors. In addition, the second issue that arises in Enronaa is many off-book partnerships were not properly accounted for. From this issue, David stated that millions in debts and losses had to be reflected in Enronaa’s books. David also confessed...
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...Information Technology: Identity Theft Name IFSM 201 Date Information Technology: Identity Theft Information technology has without a doubt changed the face of the world today. It has made amazing leaps and bounds in advancement in just the last 10 years alone and is continuing to flourish. Those who once owned personal desktop computers are now sporting portable laptop models, and people now have wireless devices which are both computer and phone combined. Those same devices are used to schedule doctors’ appointments, make bank transactions and buy goods within the cyber world. This whirlwind of technological change has created challenges in protecting personal data. Most users are not thinking security as they rush to purchase the “deal of the day” or conveniently look at x-rays that their physician sent over email. Unfortunately, this is a flawed mentality; important information whether on a device or in a file must be secured to protect an individual from identity theft. One might ask where the roads of technology, identity theft, and ethics intersect. That would be an easy answer. Scammers are anywhere and everywhere, use numerous technological systems to gather information to steal identities, and stealing from someone is not exactly ethical. These seedy individuals are starting to capitalize on the newest technologies while still making millions off of the old. For instance, unethical people may use smart phones application malware, email scams, telephone...
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...Transmissions: Now days most of us want to go online if its reading online magazine or using social network sites or maybe shopping online regardless of what we do on the net if we are using encrypted Wireless network while using applications like http which do not encrypted the data before sending over the net and any one can monitor what we are doing on the net and steal our user credentials of any website that we login to. 4. Malicious Applications: One of the major threats to the mobile devices users is to recognize if these third applications that they are downloading is legitimate applications, because these application developers try to trick the users by concealing their malicious program through the useful applications like games, navigation, and other apps. This puts these user in very awkward position where they cannot identify the legitimacy of these applications before they download into their devices. 5. Lack of security software: Most of these devices manufactures don't include preinstalled security software's such as anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware to defend against these...
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...CSEC610 Individual Assignment The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy: Implications on Corporate Security Abstract: The paper discusses: 1) potential vulnerabilities in the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy when adopted by a company; 2) threats to a network from untrusted and unmanaged devices; and 3) best practices for implementing the BYOD policy in a workplace. The paper also proposes one of many solutions that can be implemented to make the policy robust. Bring Your Own Device or BYOD is the policy, whereby employees are allowed to utilize their own personal computing devices to access corporate resources to perform their day-to-day job duties. These devices can include laptops, smart phones, and tablets and the corporate resources include sensitive, private and privileged information. When not implemented correctly, the BYOD policy is a vulnerability for businesses and enterprises, since sensitive data is accessed through unmanaged and potentially compromised devices. This accessed data has the potential to end up in the wrong hands in an ever-increasing number of ways. This puts pressure on IT managers to manage and secure these devices and protect proprietary company data. BYOD offers potential cost-saving measures, since it allows employees to bring their personal computing devices to the workplace, thereby eliminating the need for businesses to provide them with these devices. When individuals can work from and use a device...
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...Case Study: Mobile Device Security and Other Threats Strayer University Authors Note This paper was prepared for CIS 502 – Theories of Security Management Abstract Mobile communication and computing devices are integral part of today’s business. This provides the executives the opportunity to work from virtually anywhere anytime and became one of the most valuable tools to make business communications. However, due to the nature and size of the device and communication methods, the devices are prone to be lost or compromised and can fall into the hands of unauthorized persons, which makes these devices a very big security concern for the businesses. In this paper the nature of IT related threats faced in 2014 are discussed along with the security issues of mobile devices. a) Security threats presented within the “Security Threat Report 2014” report: The security report of Sophos (Security Threat Report 2014 Smarter, Shadier, Stealthier Malware. (n.d.). Retrieved August 19, 2014, from https://blackboard.strayer.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/CIS/502/1144/Week8/sophos-security-threat-report-2014.pdf) highlights the emerging security risks in the world. It the report, they have identified the following concerns for 2014: a. More efficient Botnets: The botnets become more resilient and stealth by the year 2014. Along with many known attributes, the sharing and copying botnet codes have resulted in emerging new botnets which are being used for various attacks...
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...The Android operating system was introduced as open source software in 2008 by the Open Handset Alliance (including companies such as HTC, Samsung, Sony, LG and 80 other companies) which is led by Google. The Android is a growing operating system for hand phones and tablets which provided a new mobile competition against other smartphone such as the iPhone and Blackberry. A direct quote from the Open Handset Alliance concerning their main goal “The goal of the Android Open Source Project is to create a successful real-world product that improves the mobile experience for end users.” (Google Inc., 2011) The Android operating system has provided many benefits in this society, but has also been facing many securities, ethical/legal concerns. The Android operating system has demonstrated growth of technology and new expansive services such as the Google Wallet. Although the Android system has expanded rapidly and developed quickly, the Google has faced many issues concerning security and the law. The Android operating system has just received it open source software license in 2008, but yet it has surpassed the Apple iPhone OS based on the number of users; In November 2010 it has been reported by comScore MobiLens that 26% of smartphone users owned an Android device, while 25% owned an Apple device (Chung, 2011). Besides smartphones, the Google has also been distributing tablets which served as competitions against the iPad (Krill, 2011). Although Apple holds 86% of all tablet users...
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...Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Report Area of System | Threat | Potential Vulnerability | IT System | Targeted Attacks – specifically designed to penetrate a particular organization, and focus on gathering specific information. | Used to gather information with monetary value for example, customers personal information. Name, address, phone numbers, and social security numbers. | | Privacy Threats - That puts both personal data at risk and raises bigger questions about the proper use of aggregated data companies use for promotional purposes. | The internet allows users to bank, shop, and socialize online which requires users to disclose customer information putting personal data at risk | | Fake Security Certificates - cybercriminals have been able to issue fake certificates for their malware using so-called self-signed certificates, and they have also been able to successfully breach the systems of various CAs and use stolen certificates to sign their code. | Make a fake website seem like it is a legit service | | Mobile Malware – about 90% of mobile malware is targeted toward Android based devices. Android is widely used, easy to develop for, and users of Android are able to download apps from anywhere they choose. On the other hand, iOS is a closed file system, allowing the download and use of apps from just a single source, the App Store. | Customer using their mobile devices to store their loyalty card must be aware that mobile phones are also targets for...
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...devices to increase productivity and collaboration among employees. As of December 2013 Google’s Android Operation System was the top smart phone platform with 52.5% of the market share ("iOS Continues Gaining U.S. Smartphone Share"). As these numbers continue to grow cybercriminals have taken notice and there has been an increase in the number of malware programs developed for the Android operating system. These malware programs can present a variety of threats from allowing criminals access to important personal information to intercepting private text messages and emails as well as even allowing someone to remotely turn on the phone’s mic. These threats can present a problem to both private individuals and businesses alike. It is important that steps be taken to prevent cybercriminals from accessing this information by preventing malware from being installed on these devices. If I was responsible for strengthening this area of IT security, I would recommend several steps. For starters, I would provide education to personal and business users to instruct them on the proper software to have installed in order to protect their devices as well as things to look out for and avoid. For businesses, I would recommend they employ strict guidelines for users of company equipment and dictate polices for users that bring their own devices. An important step in protecting against Android malware is educating device owners. According to research firm IDC only 5 percent of smartphones and...
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...purchased antivirus software for your iPhone, Android, or cell phone? Probably not. Many users believe that their iPhones and Androids are unlikely to be hacked into because they think Apple and Google are protecting them from malware apps, and that the carriers like Verizon and AT&T can keep the cellphone network clean from malware just as they do the land phone line system. (Telephone systems are “closed” and therefore not subject to the kinds of the attacks that occur on the open Internet.) Phishing is also a growing smartphone problem. Mobile users are believed to be three times more likely to fall for scams luring them to bogus Web sites where they reveal personal data: Why? Because mobile devices are activated all the time, and small-screen formatting makes the fraud more difficult to detect. So far there has not been a major smartphone hack resulting in millions of dollars in losses, or the breach of millions of credit cards, or the breach of national security. But with 74 million smartphone users in the United States, 91 million people accessing the Internet from mobile devices, business firms increasingly switching their employees to the mobile platform, consumers using their phones for financial transactions and even paying bills, the size and richness of the smartphone target for hackers is growing. In December 2010, one of the first Android botnets, called “Gemini,” was discovered. The code was wrapped inside a legitimate Android app whose developers did not realize they...
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...Ransomware Discuss the threat When infected restricts you to access to a computer system. This will become more refined in its targets and methods. Experts predict that the variants of ransomware that hurt the security software that are installed within a computer may particularly target the endpoints which sign up with cloud-based storage solutions like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and many more. On detecting the endpoint, ransomware will exploit the stored personal credentials of the logged-in user and will even infect the cloud storage that is backed up. McAfee has warned that ransomware attackers will try out as many ways possible to shell out ransom payments from their victims. Degree of damage The most advanced and most damaging ransomware in the wild at the moment, specifically targeting U.S. businesses and individuals. It's a $70 million per year criminal enterprise. Its magnitude is now confirmed by law enforcement. Some quick math shows $18,145 in costs per victim, caused by network mitigation, network countermeasures, loss of productivity, legal fees, IT services, and/or the purchase of credit monitoring services for employees or customers. As you can see, the total costs of a ransomware infection goes well above just the ransom fee itself, which is usually around $500 but can go up to $10,000. What it attacked Ransomware is a type of malware that infects a computer and restricts a user’s access to the infected computer. This type of malware...
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...Business Research Report OS of Champions Assessment Code: RWT1 Student Name: Date: May 18, 2014 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Research Findings 5 Apple IOS 5 Pro’s and Con’s 5 Ease of use 6 Versatility 6 Security 6 Analysis 6 Android OS 6 Pro’s and Con’s 6 Ease of use 7 Versatility 7 Security 7 Analysis 8 Microsoft Windows OS 8 Pro’s and Con’s 8 Ease of use 9 Versatility 9 Security 9 Analysis 9 Recommendations 11 Conclusion 12 References 13 Executive Summary As we prepare to arm our Sales Managers with a devise that will not only keep us competitive in the market, but give us a technological advantage over our competitors. Allowing them to: • Present sales pitch to the customer • Analyze sales performance • Track Sales in real time • Manage Sales Force • Manage Accounts • Conduct training • Keep our data secure • Order equipment direct to the market We must decide which OS best fits our needs. We have researched in depth the three leading operating systems on the market. Apple IOS, Android Jelly Bean, and Microsoft Windows 8.1. While each operating system had great advantages and disadvantages we found the following to be true: Microsoft Windows 8.1 is the clear winner. I recommend we provide each Sales Manager with a phone and tablet computer running the Windows 8.1 operating system by Microsoft. It will give them everything they...
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