Premium Essay

Mobile Device Attacks

In: Computers and Technology

Submitted By bhood312
Words 3045
Pages 13
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 and incorporating them into their business activities.

Typical smartphones like the Apple iPhone, RIM’s BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Google Android have seen their usage grow rapidly in recent few years. Besides the basic functions like phone calls and messages, they can handle other known previously only to the PC like reading and writing emails and documents. Moreover, smartphones

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Nt1330 Unit 3 Assignment 2.1

...2.1.1 Threats A smartphone user is exposed to various threats when they use their phone. In just the last two quarters of 2012, the number of unique mobile threats grew by 261%. These threats can disrupt the operation of the smartphone, and transmit or modify user data. So applications must guarantee privacy and integrity of the information they handle. In addition, since some apps could themselves be malware, their functionality and activities should be limited (for example, restricting the apps from accessing location information via GPS, blocking access to the user's address book, preventing the transmission of data on the network, sending SMS messages that are billed to the user, etc.). There are three prime targets for attackers: o Data: smartphones are devices for data management, and may contain sensitive data like credit card numbers, authentication information, private information, activity logs (calendar, call logs); o Identity: smartphones are highly customizable, so the device or its contents can easily be associated with a specific person. For example,...

Words: 1004 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Cis502 Week 8 Assignment

...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...

Words: 1366 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Technology In Mobile Computing

...Introduction Mobile computing is becoming increasingly important due to the rise in the number of portable computers and the desire to have continuous network connectivity to the Internet irrespective of the physical location of the node. Mobile computing offers significant benefits for organizations that choose to integrate the technology into their fixed organizational information system. Ranging from wireless laptops to cellular phones and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth enabled PDA’s to wireless sensor networks, mobile computing has become ubiquitous in its impact on our daily lives. Mobile computing is a versatile and potentially strategic technology that improves information quality and accessibility, increases operational efficiency, and enhances management...

Words: 1491 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

What Is Malware

...Table of Contents What Is Malware? ..………………………………………………………… 3 History of Malware …………………………………………………………. 4 Types of Malware …………………………………………………………… 5 How to Prevent Malware …………………………………………………… 7 Attacks on Mobile Devices …………………………………………………. 9 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………. 11 References ……………………………………………………………………. 14 What is malware Malware, short for malicious software, is any type of software that is used in order to disrupt regular computer operations, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. Malware is not something new to computers; it is as old as software itself. Programmers have been creating it for as long as they have been creating legitimate software. There are many different reasons as to why a programmer would create such malware. Some programmers create malware for reasons as simple as pranks and experiments or more serious and organized Internet crime malware. There are many different types of malware that will be explained later but one must know that each type of malware attacks a computer in a different way and causes different levels of damage. (What is Malware, 2014) Creating malware is a very vicious thing to do. It attacks an individual’s computer without the knowledge of the user and before they know it, personal information is stolen and the computer is damaged. What would make someone want to create such a thing? In the earlier stages of software...

Words: 3391 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

How to Protect Your Network from Cybersecurity

...Cyber Attacks There are three measures network administrators can take to avoid the types of network attacks that plagued U.S. and South Korean websites including www.whitehouse.gov, NASDAQ, NYSE, Yahoo!'s financial page and the Washington Post. The three areas to focus on are network based mitigation, host based mitigation and proactive measures. Network based mitigation * Install IDS/IPS with the ability to track floods (such as SYN, ICMP, etc.) * Install a firewall that has the ability to drop packets rather than have them reach the internal server. The nature of a web server is such that you will allow HTTP to the server from the Internet. You will need to monitor your server to know where to block traffic. * Have contact numbers for your ISP's emergency management team (or response team, or the team that is able to respond to such an event). You will need to contact them in order to prevent the attack from reaching your network's perimeter in the first place. Host based mitigation * Ensure that HTTP open sessions time out at a reasonable time. When under attack, you will want to reduce this number. * Ensure that TCP also time out at a reasonable time. * Install a host-based firewall to prevent HTTP threads from spawning for attack packets Proactive measures For those with the know-how, it would be possible to "fight back" with programs that can neutralize the threat. This method is used mostly by networks that are under constant attack such...

Words: 2314 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Mobile Security

...WHITE PAPER Copyright © 2011, Juniper Networks, Inc. 1 MOBILE DEVICE SECURITY— EMERGING THREATS, ESSENTIAL STRATEGIES Key Capabilities for Safeguarding Mobile Devices and Corporate Assets 2 Copyright © 2011, Juniper Networks, Inc. WHITE PAPER - Mobile Device Security—Emerging Threats, Essential Strategies Table of Contents Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Words: 3536 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Mobile Security Threats

... Computer Science University of Venda 2014 ABSTRACT We live in a digital era where communication, information 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...

Words: 2908 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Data Breaches

...How Do Data Breaches Occur? * Employee loses an unencrypted portable device (smartphones, laptop, thumb drive, backup tape) * Property crimes (computers prime targets) * Inside job (employee steals information) * Stray faxes, emails * Phishing scams and increasingly, Spear-Phishing (social engineering) * Malware / virus attacks (especially when working remotely on an unsecured network) * Failure to purge/scrub computing devices scheduled for destruction * Weaknesses in "Cloud" security Greek Market Vs Global Market – Security Incidents PWC – Information Security Survey 2013 “Must Do” Security Actions 1. Implement User Education & Awareness : * Communicating safely and responsibly * Using social media wisely * Transferring digital files in a safe way * Proper Password usage * Avoiding losing important information * Ensuring only the right people can read your information * Staying safe from viruses and other malware * Who to alert when you notice potential security incident? * Knowing how not to be tricked into giving information away This will ensure that all personnel who have access to information and information systems understand their daily responsibilities to handle, protect and support the company’s information security activities 2. Keep System up to date Systems and software, including networking equipment, should be updated as patches and firmware upgrades become...

Words: 681 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Nt1330 Unit 3 Assignment 2.1

...2.1.1 Threats A smartphone user is exposed to various threats when they use their phone. In just the last two quarters of 2012, the number of unique mobile threats grew by 261%. These threats can disrupt the operation of the smartphone, and transmit or modify user data. So applications must guarantee privacy and integrity of the information they handle. In addition, since some apps could themselves be malware, their functionality and activities should be limited (for example, restricting the apps from accessing location information via GPS, blocking access to the user's address book, preventing the transmission of data on the network, sending SMS messages that are billed to the user, etc.). There are three prime targets for attackers: o Data: smartphones are devices for data management, and may contain sensitive data like credit card numbers, authentication information, private information, activity logs (calendar, call logs); o Identity: smartphones are highly customizable, so the device or its contents can easily be associated with a specific person. For example,...

Words: 739 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Mobile Devices

...Mobile devices in workplace Name Institution Course Instructor Date Concerns about mobile devices * Mobile devices are distracting and make people waste time in workplace.  Flitting between numerous screens and apps and continuously checking email is enough to disrupt even the most focused employee. * Loss of important corporate data stored in the employee’s mobile device due to attacks is one of the greatest concerns. The employee keeps using personal device for corporate data as it is convenient to work from there but in case of system attacks, the data may be lost or stolen * Access to the company’s critical and confidential data by unauthorized people due to attacks by malicious people on the mobile devices. This happens mostly because it is difficult to enforce security measures on each and every employee’s mobile device and it being difficult to ban their use in workplace Ways of dealing with the issues The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) sensation is extending at an amazing rate. It is something that influences each business, from the littlest to the biggest. How every business is managing BYOD ranges from complete lack of concern to a full grasp of it with complex techniques and controls set up to augment worker profit while minimizing danger to the business. Each one organization ought to have such regulations. There are steps you can take to place forms set up, and devices to authorize components of those techniques, that will...

Words: 2085 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Technology Project

...NET 210 WAN TECHNOLOGY PROJECT ANALYSIS ON HOW TO SECURE REMOTE ACCESS FOR ENTERPRISE NETWORK SYSTEM Submitted to: Jacky Chao Min By: MARTHE M. NSABA 300682552 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION | 3 - 6 | PROTECTION OF CPE DEVICES | 7 - 9 | SECURE REMOTE ACCESS THROUGH DIFFERENT AUTHENTICATION | 10 - 15 | SECURE REMOTE ACCESS FOR MOBILE UTILIZATION | 16 - 17 | BIBIOGRAPHY | 18 | INTRODUCTION In this developing environment, we note that varying business utilise different kinds of networks according to the business structures and policies, so managing access to all those networks can be complicated and security threatening. It is a key objective that for an enterprise to operate efficiently, its accessibility should be unlimited and this is when remote access is introduced. As the volume of enterprise information and data is increasing exponentially, it is an expectation that this data is easily accessed and shared among each other. To enable this, smarter network access called Remote access was introduced to deliver various degrees of data efficiently through mobile devices, applications and machines in order to stimulate productivity. There are three main types of remote access, namely Basic, Advances and Enterprise. In this paper, we will focus on Enterprise Remote access. Some of the advantages of Enterprise Remote access are; Increased high availability required for different and high volume application Remote access maintains and controls...

Words: 3060 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Green Systems Mobile Tablet Proposal

...Green Systems, Inc. Mobile sales tablet proposal Charles Brooks, Willy Almazan, Nathan Gass, Christian Hawkins, Matthew Chau University of Phoenix CIS/207 11/06/2012 The Mobile sales tablet by Green Systems Inc is an amazing solution to the retail experience. By putting the mobility in employees’ hands to walk around and spend the entire experience with the customer it creates more of a bond that that customer will remember the next time they want to purchase. Employees can look up a multitude of things with the mobile devices and save time from having to do price checks, stock checks, and looking for product information. Employees are freed up to do other tasks they might not have been able to accomplish if they were stuck to a register. And the devices have many more applications for use than just that. Mobile device payment offers a way to inexpensively change the way your business develops. By removing the costly register systems and switching everything over to mobile units you free up space in the store that otherwise would have been taken up by registers, lines, and “in a hurry” Customers. Now we go to them. They don’t have to come to us. We bring not only our own knowledge in our heads, but so much more. With a few other additions to this system we can change the way retail is done. Not a moment is wasted to build an excellent customer relationship that keeps that customer coming back every time. Welcome to The Mobile Sales Tablet. In This proposal we will be discussing...

Words: 3820 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Globalization Effecting Apples

...Follow Comments Image via CrunchBase Microsoft needed a great Christmas season. After years of product stagnation, and a big market shift toward mobile devices from PCs, Microsoft’s future relied on the company seeing customers demonstrate they were ready to jump in heavily for Windows8 products – including the new Surface tablet. But that did not happen. With the data now coming it, it is clear the market movement away from Microsoft products, toward Apple and Android products, has not changed. On Christmas eve, as people turned on their new devices and launched their first tweet, Surface came in dead last – a mere 2% compared to the number of people tweeting from iPads. (Kindle was second, Android third.) Looking at more traditional units shipped information, UBS analysts reported Surface sales were 5% of iPads shipped. And usability reviews continue to run highly negative for Surface and Win8. Including CNNMoney’s well thought out article about why transitional products like Surface have an inherent, likely insurmountable design failure. PC sales declining Hey Japan, Gordon Gekko Is In the House John Kotter Contributor Oops! Five CEOs Who Should Have Already Been Fired (Cisco, GE, WalMart, Sears, Microsoft) Adam Hartung Contributor This inability to make a big splash, and mount a serious attack on Apple/Android domination, is bad news for Microsoft especially because we now know that traditional PC sales are well into decline. Despite the big...

Words: 366 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Four Mobile TráP

...THE FOUR MOBILE TRAPS The Most Common Mistakes Made by Mobile Apps and Websites SUMMARY SUMMARY: FOUR COMMON MISTAKES PLAGUE MOBILE APPS AND WEBSITES Companies creating mobile apps and websites often underestimate how different the mobile world is. They assume incorrectly that they can create for mobile using the same design and business practices they learned in the computing world. As a result, they frequently struggle to succeed in mobile. These companies can waste large amounts of time and money as they try to understand why their mobile apps and websites don’t meet expectations. What’s worse, their awkward transition to mobile leaves them vulnerable to upstart competitors who design first for mobile and don’t have the same computing baggage holding them back. From giants like Facebook to the smallest web startup, companies are learning that the transition to mobile isn’t just difficult, it’s also risky. This whitepaper describes the four most common mistakes that companies make in mobile apps and websites. The traps were identified through thousands of mobile user tests run by UserTesting.com. The mistakes are common because they grow out of some of the best practices that make a company successful in the traditional computing world. The more successful you’ve been in traditional computing, the more likely you are to make these mistakes in mobile. In the pages that follow, we’ll describe the traps, how to recognize them, and what you can do...

Words: 6956 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Mr Sam

...Mobile Security Mobile security is where the protection of cell phones, smartphones, laptops and other portable electronic and wireless devices from threats and to be taken slightly. The importance of the mobile security is that these devices are used vulnerabilities. These devices are called mobile because we move with them from place to place and in the process they are subject to threats. Since the number of mobile devices has greatly increased in the last decade, it is therefore most likely that the threat associated with them will be high as well. It is common at any given second to have someone using a mobile device because some people say that they help them pass time. However, the security of these devices is vital and need not as storage devices for our personal and private messages which we do not want to share. When they are exposed to threats, there is a likelihood that the data may be changed or modified and this may lead to the real owner of the data being misled if he or she uses the data which is not accurate. Smartphones may contain credit card numbers, social security numbers and when they fall in the hands of criminals, the owner may end up having his money stolen. (Ruff & Nicolas (2011). Professionals like managers and professors use smartphones as their calendar and they store their appointment dates and details and if the data contained in them is tampered with, they may end up not staying on their schedule and if this...

Words: 1904 - Pages: 8