What do printed QR codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) chips have in common, besides storing instructions that computers can read? They are both hackable and their ability to store and communicate computer instructions is bound to be abused, if not already, then sometime soon. This happens to every new means of communication; QR and
While our recent post on BYOD focuses on the prevalence and/or risk of inadequately trained staff potentially creating problems for the core IT infrastructure using their own personal devices for work, it seems others here at RSA are concerned with preventing the exact same thing, but from a different angle. I attended one “lighting round”
Introduction Mobile World Congress 2012 is almost upon us, and one of the most hotly-anticipated topics is the next generation of Microsoft’s smartphone operating system Windows Phone 8, which has been kept under wraps far more tightly than its PC counterpart, Windows 8. While Microsoft was an early adopter in the creation of smartphones with
In response to recent reports that malicious apps may have made their way into the official Android Market, Google has responded by announcing a new program to more proactively scan the Market and developer accounts for seemingly malicious apps and highlights and/or remove them before users experience trouble. Traditionally, the barriers of entry for developers
As legislators grapple with increasingly vocal smartphone owners concerned with privacy, a new Bill before the U.S. House of Representatives aims to require mandatory consumer consent prior to allowing the collection or transfer of data on such devices. You may recall that a company called CarrierIQ recently became the center of attention after a user
National Security Agency’s (NSA) SE Linux team, citing critical gaps in the security of Android , is building a Security Enhanced (SE) version of the publicly available source code for the Android project. This is a variant of the SE Linux project co-developed by NSA and RedHat, which gives (among other things) a more granular
Exactly how people will abuse digital technology for their own ends is difficult to predict, but organizations must plan ahead to protect data and systems. That's why we have been posting our "best guess" cybersecurity predictions on the Threat Blog this month. Today we present 9 of the most important predictions in the form of
I want share with you what ESET Latin America’s Research team thinks will be the main trends in malware and cybercrime in 2012. In our office it is usual to produce an analysis of emerging trends in a year-end report and so, in keeping with recent postings by my ESET colleagues, I present a summary
Android-specific software that checks for Carrier IQ could create an unanticipated problem.
Recently we see allegations that CarrierIQ is quietly collecting more information than Android users bargained for. In one case, Trevor Eckhart thinks he proved that they register users’ keystrokes without the users’ knowledge for reasons subject to ongoing speculation. We certainly had no trouble finding the CarrierIQ software on an HTC phone, where it possessed
One of the blessings of Open Source initiatives is the rapidity with which coders can release quality collaborative code. This is one of the ways the Android managed to claw its way into the smartphone mainstream, after arriving late to the game. But as the app ecosystem matures, vulnerability/patch management becomes more of an issue,
Awhile back we mused that the rapid rise in Android malware would hit its stride near the intersection of widespread mobile financial transaction use, and the continuing steep rise in adoption of the platform. Now we see AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon entering a joint venture to back a payment service for, guess what: Mobile financial
I have an Android in my pocket as I type, with all kinds of cool apps ranging from GPS navigation to acoustic guitar tuner (really cool) – and apparently I’m not alone. Users are scooping up the latest batch of Android smartphones in record numbers, and what better target can malware authors ask for? Well,
With the proliferation of the data we hold on our mobile devices, it’s no wonder Neil Daswani, CTO of Dasient, says around 8% of the apps they tested have been leaking data. In a similar vein, he states, “The number of malware samples on mobile devices has doubled in the past two years.” Google tends
The mobile devices of late have more compute power than the full desktop PC of yesteryear, and they fit it your pocket, great news for folks “on the go.” And since you’re so multi-tasked anyway, why not load it up with things to make your life easier, after all, it’s really a phone with a
Android Smartphones are under attack again by rogue applications that once installed are reading information from the phone and sending it back to a pre-assigned location. According to mobile security firm as many as 120,000 users may have been infected from a cafeteria selection of at least two dozen applications from the Android Market. “Once
There are reports coming out today about Google Android and how approximately 99.7% of its users are potentially open to compromise. This news cycle started by the Ulm University publishing some information on the 13th of May showing some results. I'm sure this story will develop and CTAC may follow-up to my blog with more details;
...35% of iPhone/Android users in the US interact with their smartphones before they get out of bed...
As I have blogged about the Android platform a recurring comment has been “When will ESET have protection for my Android?” Well, I still don’t know when it will be available for sale, but for those who understand the risks involved with running beta software, have backed up all of their data on their Adnroid
...all the relevant malware they've seen uses exploits that are restricted to Android OS 2.2 and below...
