National Campaign Warns of Smartphone Scams

We’ve been talking about it for months but now a national computer security campaign is urging smartphone users to do more to protect themselves from unwittingly downloading malware applications.

A joint initiative between the government, police and industry, called Get Safe Online, said it was concerned that users of smartphones, such as Android devices, were not taking steps to protect their devices.

Their claim; is that that there has been an increase in smartphone malware as the market has grown.  As predicted, criminals are typically creating Trojan copies of reputable apps and tricking users into installing them. Once on the phone, the app can secretly generate cash for criminals through premium rate text messages.

If your smartphone is not armed with protection, then please take advantage of our FREE smartphone security trial!  Click here to find out more.

HTC v Apple, The Battle Continues

Rumbling on in a similar fashion to the Fabregas football transfer, is the HTC v’s Apple patent row.  The latest chapter in this saga see’s HTC turning up the heat.

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has now filed a lawsuit in the US against Apple, accusing its American rival of infringing its patents.  They are going as far as trying to stop US imports of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Mac computers. 

In July, HTC was found to infringe two iPhone patents in a case brought by Apple at the US International Trade Commission (ITC).  However HTC, which is one of the world's fastest-growing smartphone makers, has vowed to appeal against the ruling, which threatens its business model of designing products around the Android operating system.

It is widely thought that Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility (MMI) may offer a greater degree of protection to Android handset makers.

Have you considered your Smartphone Security yet?

Hackers Hit Italian Soil

Data hacks so far this year have been rife, and it seems that hackers are not tiring, as attention moves towards Italian shores. 

Hackers have started to release the 8Gbs worth of secret files stolen from an Italian cybercrime unit.  The documents were allegedly taken from the network of the Italian CNAIPIC which oversees the country's critical IT infrastructure.  The attack is thought to be in retaliation for arrests of Italian members of Anonymous.

Among the documents taken, there is information about a number of Government offices from Australia and the US.  Preview images also shared by Anonymous reveal the management structure of CNAIPIC, pictures of staff, and a long list of all the documents that have been taken.  CNAIPIC are yet to comment on the matter.

The importance of rigid data security is becoming a pressing issue for all sorts of business, and rightly so.  If you have any questions regarding your data network, contact the experts for a free evaluation.

If you use your smartphone in the same way that you use your laptop or PC, ensure that you have sufficient security on it.  A common misconception is that it comes with the phone.  This is not the case.  Take advantage of our free trial to see what your missing.

HTC Lose Out in Apple Ruling but Will Appeal

On Friday, the US International Trade Commission ruled that Taiwanese mobile phone company HTC, had infringed two Apple Patents.  Apple had claimed that their smartphone rivals had infringed a total of 10 patents.

The response from HTC has been to state that they will appeal; but if the decision is not overturned it could result in the US banning some HTC imports.  Shares in HTC fell 7% this morning as a result, but the result of the appeal could have much wider implications for the industry.  The findings are only preliminary and are subject to review by the full six-member committee in Washington. A final decision is due on 6 December.

The Taiwanese company is not the only firm wrestling with Apple over the rights to technology, with the US firm also in disputes with South Korea's Samsung and US-based Motorola.

Do you have a smartphone?  Do you browse the internet or check your emails on it?  Have you considered your smartphone security?  Find out more! 

Mobile Tracking Raises Legal Questions

As the phone hacking scandal rumbles on and the circle of deception continues to spiral upwards and outwards, serious questions are being raised about the UK's eavesdropping laws.

Sean Hoare, former News of the World journalist, has alleged that the newspaper paid police to track mobile phones and claimed that it was possible to "ping" a handset's location for £300.

There is certainly no firm evidence to support the accusation, but if it were true it would undermine safeguards within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.  Under which, a handful of officers have the authority to ask mobile networks to determine the location of a phone, based on information from nearby radio masts.  Each request is supposed to be approved by a senior colleague.  These sorts of checks are written into the law to prevent it from being abused.

The system is regulated and audited by the Interception of Communications Commissioner, Sir Paul Kennedy.  Who in his most recent report discovered, found in 10% of cases where law enforcement bodies sought communications information, there was poor compliance with the rules.

Concerns about Mobile Security?  Find out more.

84% of Businesses in UK have had Security Breach in last year

In our upcoming June podcast, we highlight the recent press focus surrounding major data security breaches.  The sort of news that has raised questions like; if a 19year old can hack the CIA’s network, what chance do the rest of us have?

It seems concerns are well founded, according to a report sponsored by networking firm Juniper Networks. 1,406 IT and IT security practitioners were surveyed by independent research firm Ponemon Institute.

From which, the research states, a considerable 84 % of businesses in the UK, France and Germany have suffered at least one security breach in the last year.

In addition:

31 % of respondents said that there had been a significant rise in the frequency of cyber attacks in the same period.

76 % added that the attacks themselves had become more severe, or harder to detect and prevent.

The survey also revealed that mobile devices like laptops and smartphones were most at risk.

34 % of respondents said that security breaches occurred as a result of insecure laptops.

29 % said that mobile devices were to blame.

Take advantage of our FREE 30 day trial – and comprehensively protect your smartphone from Spam, Virus and Theft. Call us now 0115 9701471 or click here for more information.

AVG Survey Suggests that we are too Lazy about Smartphone Security

The results of a US based survey have highlighted that most mobile phone users are dangerously lazy when it comes to security. 

The majority of mobile users have no real qualms about making purchases via mobile, and tend to use the same phone in both a personal and business context.  Each of these scenarios is considered amongst the most common vulnerabilities in web security.  Despite this, few of us use phone-locking passwords and duplicate the same passwords for mobile apps that we use on our desktops.

Security firm AVG and research and consulting firm The Ponemon Institute are responsible for the survey;

Approximately, 84% of consumers use the same smartphone for both professional and personal tasks.  This doubles the risk of confidential information being shared should your phone ever be lost or stolen.

Particularly if you are among the 66% of respondents that keep personal and personally identifiable data such as an email addresses, or personal dates on your phone.  Or worse still, if you are amongst the 23% of respondents who said they stored passwords on their phones.

Worryingly, 67% of consumers surveyed said they were concerned about receiving marketing ads and promotions, but just 44% said they were worried about the possibility of a mobile virus attack.

Consider the details your store on your smartphone, especially if you use it for online banking or to make purchases, should you be so relaxed?  Mobile fraud is on the rise, make sure that you are protected.

For less than £20 you can protect your smartphone with an Anti-Virus, Anti-Spam, Anti-Theft all-in-one solution.  More information here.

SmartPhone Made of Paper, to be Revealed

Canadian researchers have announced that on the 10^th May they will reveal the prototype of flexible smartphone made from electronic paper.

The device emerged from the collaboration between researchers at the Human Media Lab at Queen's University, Canada and Arizona State University's Motivational Environments Research group.  It boasts all the same features as a normal smartphone, and triggers different features when it is bent, folded and flexed.

Creator, Dr Roel Vertegaal believes that "Everything is going to look and feel like this within five years".  

The prototype, that is only a millimeter thick, is built from the same e-ink technology found in Amazon's Kindle e-book reader.  They have bonded this to flex sensors and a touch screen that interprets drawings and text written on it. The prototype will go on display at the Computer Human Interaction conference in Vancouver alongside a device they call the Snaplet.

The Snaplet is designed by the same team, and operates as a wrist strap that can be manipulated in a similar way to the phone.  It is a watch when convex, a PDA when flat and a phone when concave.

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Is Your smartphone Ready for the Criminals?

Just like any computer, smartphones are vulnerable to hackers and their malicious code.  With the rise of mobile viruses, are you or your operators taking them seriously enough?

If you are in business or not, the chances are that you spend a large part of your day using a computer.  Therefore, you are probably aware of constant threat that looms in the form computer viruses, and we would hope that you take precautions to protect yourself against them.   

Are you aware though, that the threat of viruses and the ability of someone to worm their way into the centre of your life has taken on a new form?

Last year alone, according to IDC, approximately 302 million smartphones were shipped globally with sales up 67.6 % from 2009.  In an article published earlier this month, Gartner Inc. estimated that in 2011 approximately 468 million smartphones will be sold worldwide.  

Smartphones are becoming more and more popular, and as a result there is growing threat of mobile viruses, spam and smartphone theft.  Despite this, 86% of mobile phone users do not have any security software installed. 

If you use your smartphone for personal and business use, you are doubly at risk of criminal attacks.  If you keep personally identifiable data on your mobile phone, such as email addresses, contact lists, personal dates etc, imagine what you could make available to criminals if you do not protect yourself.  

The threat is real, and it’s now, call us to find out how to protect your smartphone.

Nearly 7,000 Mobiles Hacked

7,000 mobiles have been hacked in Britain, a lawyer has claimed, and there’s a chance that number will rise. 

The focus in this case has been on high profile targets including the mobile phones of actress Sienna Miller and former culture secretary Tessa Jowell.  Lawyer Charlotte Harris, who is representing several of the celebrities involved, said up to 7,000 people may have had their mobile phone voicemail messages intercepted.   

Whilst The News of the World has not accepted the numbers being claimed, they have issued an apology, saying: "We publicly and un-reservedly apologise to all such individuals. What happened to them should not have happened. It was and remains unacceptable."

This story has emphasised the growing need for tighter security on mobile phones particularly smartphones.  The high susceptibility of smartphones, their advanced data connections and the fact that we are increasingly using these devices for storing personal and commercial data makes them attractive to criminals.  Make sure you are protected! 

Find out more about smartphone defence by calling us today on 0115 9701471