Smartphone Security: Today and Tomorrow

With the smartphone industry growing larger every day, there is a growing concern for the security of data on said mobile devices. The power of these devices is always increasing, as is the amount of software that can be installed on them. With the advent of these different types of software, including financial software and personal identification software, the need for more security is a must. Most of these types of devices come with some type of security built-in, but is this really enough for today's world?

For most people nowadays, their whole life is on their smartphone. It includes a plethora of personal information and data, such as:

personal/work documents, notes, pictures, and emails that can contain sensitive information
full access to Wi-Fi networks that you connect to at work or at home
calendar appointments and contacts
access to various sites/information through apps, such as social networking apps, bill paying apps, movie apps, shopping apps, and etcetera

With all this information on our smartphones, it makes it a goldmine for potential thieves. The risk of your phone being lost, stolen, or even being rummaged through by your IT guy is only the half of the security problem with them. Smartphones can also leak other kinds of data through sniffing of your internet traffic when connected to open Wi-Fi networks. Your passwords to unencrypted websites and services, such as Facebook, Twitter, web-based e-mail sites, POP3 e-mail services, etcetera could be easily be sniffed by someone else on the network. There is also the issue of viruses, malware, SMS/MMS exploits, and Bluetooth exploits; these exploits can manipulate your phone settings and prevent you from using certain features, send information to or call contacts in your phone, steal and/or destroy personal information on your phone, or render your phone completely unusable.

Though the biggest concerns for now should be more focused on protecting your phone from theft or loss or sniffing over Wi-Fi, the issues of malicious software and hacking are becoming more and more prevalent every day. These issues could become more of a concern in the not so distant future due to the lack of integrated active security systems, such as firewalls, anti-virus programs, and anti-malware programs into our phones.

To set a bit of background for the importance of securing your mobile phone, Juniper Networks conducted a study of more than 6,000 smartphone and tablet users in 16 countries about mobile security threats. They found the following:

250% increase in the amount of mobile malware over the past year
a Fortune 15 company discovered that 1,250 of its 25,000 devices were infected with malware
44% of respondents to the survey use their devices for both business and personal use
80% admit to using their devices to access their work network without the employer's knowledge or permission
one out of every twenty apps in the Android marketplace requests permissions that could allow the app to place a call without the user knowing
nine of ten mobile devices have little or no security protection
more than 60% of reported smartphone infections are spyware and 17% are text message trojans that can rack up fees that are charged to the device owner's account

As clearly evidenced by Juniper's findings, there is an inherent need for more mobile phone security. Fortunately, there are several options to help secure your phone that are built-in to the operating system and several third-party programs as well. Even the most basic of security measures can help you protect your personal information. To begin, we will start with some of the simpler defense mechanisms.

While this first one may seem pretty obvious and straightforward, do not lose your phone! If you are in a public place, do not sit it down or put it in your pocket or an open bag, where it can be easily grabbed. This is actually the most common way that phones get lost or stolen.

You should also set your phone to lock or timeout after a certain period of time (recommend thirty second or less), especially if you happen to leave your phone out on your desk at work or in other public areas. All major smartphones come with this functionality built-in. You will want to make sure that you choose something that is not easy for anyone to guess, but easy for you to remember. It should not be something as simple as your address, name, phone number, etcetera. Here is how to easily set timeout settings and passwords on your phone:

Android:

Beginning with Android 2.2 (Froyo), users have the ability to set a pattern lock, PIN code, or password on their device. Users of earlier versions of Android can only set a pattern lock. How to set the screen timeout and locks mentioned above can vary depending upon the manufacturer of the phone you have. The option is generally found by pressing the Menu button from the home screen, going to Settings, Location & security,and Set up screen lock. From there, you should be able to easily setup the different types of screen locks. (Word of caution: Make sure that you have your Gmail account linked to your phone, so that you will be able to gain access to your phone in the event that you forget your password. I highly recommend this if you setup a pattern lock, as it can be very easy to forget your pattern). You may also want to be careful with setting a pattern lock, as unlocking your phone this way leaves oily residue on the screen that can remain even if you wipe it. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania on the Google Nexus One and HTC G1 showed that taking photos of the phone's screen with a standard camera and doing simple manipulations of the images within photo-editing software revealed the pattern more than 90% of the time.

BlackBerry:

Press the BlackBerry button, go to Options andPassword. From there, select Enable Password. Set the number of password attempts to what you consider a suitable amount (recommend four minutes). After the specified amount of attempts has been exceeded, it will completely lock you out of your phone for the time interval specified in the Security Timeout field. You can also set it to where it will lock upon placing your BlackBerry in a holster. This will only work with a magnetized holster. To set the screen timeout, go back into the Options screen and select Screen/Keyboard. From there, select the specified timeout period by Backlight Timeout.

iPhone:

Beginning with iOS 4, Apple introduced the ability to setup a password in addition to the standard 4-digit PIN code. To set a passcode, go to Settings, General, and Passcode Lock. From there, set the password or PIN code that you would like, as well as adjust the screen timeout through the Auto-Lock option. You may also select the Erase Data option to erase all data on the phone after 10 failed passcode attempts.

While password protecting your phone can greatly decrease the risk of your information being stolen, it is always good to take even more precautions. There are several different types of security suites out there from different vendors, as well as built-in software that can perform a "remote wipe" on your phone in the event that it is lost or stolen. Remote wipe means that you can completely remove all of your data from the phone, including e-mails, texts, documents, contacts, etcetera over the internet. For those corporate users who have a Microsoft Exchange e-mail account, this can easily be accomplished without any third-party software. You can either do it yourself through the Options panel in Outlook Web Access or have someone in the IT department initiate the wipe. For those who are personal users, or for those that do not have an Exchange account, there are several other options from third-party vendors.

Android/BlackBerry:

There are several different third-party applications that allow for you to remotely wipe your device, as well as provide several other security features. The most popular application out now is the Lookout Mobile Security suite. It not only allows you to remotely wipe your device, but also incorporates additional features that allow you to track your device via GPS, back up your contacts over the internet, and scan for viruses. The features mentioned above (minus remote wipe) are available through their free version of the program. The premium version of the program incorporates all of the above features, plus backup support for call history and pictures, remote locking, and includes a privacy advisor. The privacy advisor gives you insight into which apps can access private data on your phone, as well as scan every app that you download to see what data it accesses. The premium version is $2.99/month or $30/year. Some competitors to Lookout Mobile Security also offer protection from web threats by scanning apps before they are installed, scanning links for phishing URLs and other malware, and blocking unwanted calls and text messages. AVG Anti-Virus, McAfee WaveSecure, and Webroot Mobile Security are some of the other big name competitors.

iPhone:

The iPhone does not have quite as many options as other platforms. The only option available is to track your phone using MobileMe. If your iPhone has iOS 4.2 or higher, you can simply download the Find My Phone app from the App Store and enable it online through MobileMe. If you lose your phone, you can login through the MobileMe website and track your phone. If you have an older version of iOS, you will need to have a paid MobileMe account, which costs $99/year.

As far as anti-virus protection on the iPhone, there are none currently available on the consumer level. Apple relies strictly on the App Store's stringent review process to keep out any malicious software. While this sounds good in theory, it is not foolproof. With so many apps going through the approval process, there are bound to be some malicious ones that get through. The only other sort of protection available for the iPhone is Trend Smart Surfing, which blocks access to web pages with malicious content and helps circumvent phishing attacks.

However, Juniper Networks is currently working on the Juno Pulse Mobile Security suite that includes anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam, and remote monitoring/control services. It also remotely backs up and restores data and can locate lost devices. Juno Pulse is currently available to enterprise customers only, but they are looking to move into the consumer market.

Some other general security measures that you can take to protect yourself are to make sure that when installing third-party apps, you pay attention to the privileges that you are granting to them. Some of these privileges can include access to your GPS location, access to your contacts, access to your text messages, and other personal data. With BlackBerry App World and the Apple App Store, most of these problems are handled at the application store level before they are released to the masses. However, the Android Marketplace is a bit different, as Google does not screen all apps that come into it. It gives the end user more freedom, where the app asks you for specific permissions when installing and updating them. In short, it is best to use common sense and pay attention to what you are installing before you install it-read the reviews and make sure that it has a good number of users beforehand. Also, make sure that you only download apps from trusted sources. It is no different than the precautions you should use when installing programs on your computer.

Other aspects of securing your device that you should pay attention to are that when logging into a website, ensure that the connection is encrypted using SSL or HTTPS. You should also use secured Wi-Fi hotspots that will encrypt your traffic from others that utilize the hotspot. If you are unable to do this, you should opt into using the cellular data connection instead, as it is typically encrypted by the network provider. You could also use VPN to secure all your internet traffic, as there are several free providers out there, including Hotspot Shield or WiTopia.

Device encryption is also a must for any mobile users, as it will secure your personal information and data from being recovered by a hacker or any other advanced user. Entire device encryption is currently supported on BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android 3.0 tablets.

BlackBerry:

Most of the newer BlackBerry devices support encryption on the entire device and on removable storage (microSD cards)-this will protect your pictures, documents, and other files in case you lose your BlackBerry or have someone take your card out when you are not looking. When encrypting your device, you may want to leave your contacts unencrypted, as encrypting them will cause caller names to not display when your phone is locked. To setup encryption on the device and/or removable storage, press the BlackBerry button, go to Options, Security, andEncryption. From there you will able to specify what you would like to be encrypted.

iPhone:

Encryption on the iPhone is automatically turned on when you set a passcode on your device. However, it is only available on the iPhone 3GS and later-it is unavailable on earlier iPhone models. To ensure that encryption is enabled, verify that Data protection is enabled is displayed in the Passcode Lock screen in the Settings.

Android:

Unfortunately, Android does not currently support any device-level encryption for smartphones. If you would like to encrypt your emails, calendar, and contact info from your company's Exchange account, you may do so using a third-party Exchange client called Touchdown. However, device-level encryption is currently available as part of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), which is targeted for tablet devices. It should make its way onto their smartphone operating systems sometime in the near future.

After taking a look at some of these common smartphone security issues, you should have some sort of idea on how to best protect yourself from loss or theft of your device and loss of any personal information from your device. With smartphones becoming more and more popular, more security issues will be sure to arise and smartphone operating system manufacturers will continue to adapt their operating systems to best combat these issues. At some point, these mobile security suites may even be integrated into the operating system or pre-installed by your network provider.

Eddie Burkett

Mobile Marketing: Location, Location, Location

A 2010 study by comScore suggests that almost 46 million mobile phone users have Smartphone� almost 20 percent of the market share of total mobile users.

Those numbers are enough for advertisers to start taking the mobile market very seriously. But what is the best way for advertisers and marketers to gain traction in this growing industry?

Increasingly, mobile content and applications are being targeted at a user�s location. A study from the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) states that more than 25 percent of adults in the U.S. have used maps, navigation or other mobile phone services that automatically determine location. The same study indicates that nearly half of those using mobile phones have taken action on mobile ads.

Increasing the localization of customer targeting means more qualified traffic and better opportunities for conversion. Utilizing localized advertising in combination with interactive advertising offers users the very services they are seeking. That�s a winning formula.



Ready, Aim, Advertise
The great strength of the mobile ad is that it allows for very specific targeting of users. Advertisers who take the time to get to know their target audience will be able to reach out to a large group of consumers who are hungry for information about what is available in their immediate area.

At this point (and it should come as no surprise), the leader in location-based advertising is Google. Google has acquired a patent for using location for advertising, which sets it ahead of the competition. It allows users to bid on ad prices within a defined area and allows advertising from apps to directly correspond to a user�s location.



Hook
Anyone with experience managing PPC campaigns will find themselves in familiar territory when launching mobile ad campaigns. Just like PPC, mobile advertising allows you to set up a section for specific campaigns and, within those campaigns, create accounts for different brands, as well as their relative keywords.

In addition to choosing to advertise in search results or through the content network is the ability to select a specific area � obviously of importance to mobile ad campaigns. Mobile ad platforms will allow you to target geographical locations based on country, region and specific city.

For more highly targeted ads, advertisers can target specific mobile network carriers, devices and even markup languages. This allows users to control who they are advertising to, which, allows them to meet the needs of a destination URL, depending on the technological capabilities of the targeted device.



Line
Limited to very few characters, the mobile call-to action is a new art form. Mobile ad character limits on Google are 18 characters per line of text (two lines total), offering very few words to send your message. With so few characters available, highly targeted copy is very important. There are ways to increase your character count, however. For example, using AdMob, there is an option to select an ad targeted at �iPhones and other mobile devices with full Internet browsers.� This allows you to get a few more characters in both the title and body of your ad.



Sinker
You want your user to experience a feeling of success upon finding your landing page. Forget about the fact that users can zoom in on a mobile Web page. Create simple pages that display the information that benefits the user immediately upon landing.

Like any other form of Internet advertising, the mobile ad must reach multiple devices and screen sizes. With so many types of handsets, the ability to reach specific ones is absolutely imperative to a successful mobile marketing campaign. To market to more than just one of these groups, optimize multiple pages for each of the different styles.

A display on a Blackberry Curve is far different from that of an iPhone, for example. Phones have the ability to resize text but forcing users to take that extra step can be risky. Let your landing pages be as targeted to the users of specific devices as they are to the consumers you are trying to reach. A page that is not automatically readable or navigable with the information important to your consumers (delivering on the promise of the ad) could send users elsewhere.

Web developers can target specific phones to a certain degree by serving up different conditional CSS files. By checking the maximum width of the device�s screen, they can create usable layouts specific for the device.



Test for Success
Like other advertising campaigns, having several versions of an ad and a landing page is paramount to success. Continue to test different tactics and don�t be afraid to experiment.

Be aware that the ability to track mobile advertising campaigns is still somewhat limited. When checking an IP address for someone who visited your site with a Blackberry, for example, you will be seeing the Internet Gateway address, not the actual phone�s IP address. In addition, some phones don�t support cookies and others clear the cache on a regular basis. However, there are analytics solutions to help track ROI. Affiliates who find ways to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns will be miles ahead when the technology catches up to the needs of advertisers. And, by making use of the ability to target specific locations, you have already narrowed the criteria for analysis.

Mobile advertising, especially in terms of affiliate marketing, is in the early stages of its growth. There will be obstacles to overcome. But those who get in early and manage to grow with the developing technology will have a head start on their competition. The technology is already advancing in leaps and bounds. If you start now, you�ll be ready for the next development phases.

In addition to choosing to advertise in search results or through the content network is the ability to select a specific area � obviously of importance to mobile ad campaigns.

Source of Information : Website Magazine November 2010

Remote Desktop Isn�t Just For Desktops

The LogMeIn Ignition application, although currently compatible with Android and iOS, isn�t available for smartphones running the Windows Mobile OS. But that doesn�t mean WinMo users are out of luck. There are actually a number of remote access applications available for virtually all mobile OSes that can use VNC, for example, but most Windows Mobile phones actually ship with a version of Remote Desktop that works surprisingly well and is probably already installed on your phone.

Unlike LogMeIn Ignition, which is very easy to install and use, WinMo Remote
Desktop requires some tinkering to get working. First, if your desktop systems are behind a router (and let�s face it, whose aren�t?), you�ll need to enable port forwarding. Knowing your external IP address is also required, which can be a pain to keep track of without springing for a dynamic IP tracking service. But because this is CPU, however�and we�re all power users around here� we�ll assume finding and keeping track of your external IP address is within your abilities. If so, the first step to using WinMo�s Remote Desktop tool is forwarding a port 3389 to the PC you�d like to access remotely via your router�s configuration menus. Remote Desktop uses port 3389 by default. But if you have other PCs using the same broadband connection that you�d like to control, you can specify other ports, as well, for those systems.

With your external IP address on hand and the proper port forwarded to the system, the next step is enabling Remote Desktop connections on the PC. To do so, click Start, then right-click on Computer, and select Properties from the menu. Then, click the Remote Settings link at the upper left. The Remote tab in the System Properties menu will pop up. On the Remote tab, in the bottom section, select the radio button labeled, �Allow Connections From Computers Running Any Version Of Remote Desktop.� Click the Select Users button at the bottom and, in the resulting menu, add the user accounts you�d like to access remotely. If you only have a single account on the system, it will be added by default. Click OK in the Select Users menu, and then click OK again to close the System Properties.

On your WinMo device, launch the Remote Desktop application; it should greet you by presenting a simple menu that requires an IP address, username, password, and domain. Before entering any information, though, click the Options button at the bottom and set the color depth to High Color (16-bit) and the remote desktop display options to �Full Screen� and �Fit Remote Desktop To Screen.� Doing so will result in a much better experience.

With those options set, it�s time to log in. If your system is not part of a domain, which is most likely the case, simply enter your remote system�s external IP, along with the username and password for the account chosen when configuring Remote Desktop on the PC, and leave the Domain field blank. Then click Connect, and a few moments later you should have access to your PC.

We have found that WinMo�s Remote Desktop tool works infinitely better when the smartphone is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, but 3G connections are acceptable, too.

Source of Information : CPU Computer Power User November 2010

iPhones System Requirements

iPhones are unlike most other cell phones. Like the iPod, you�ll need a computer to connect your phone to. iPhones need to connect to computers regularly to synchronize music, videos, photos, e-mail, contacts, calendars, and more. You also won�t be able to activate your phone on the AT&T network until you successfully connect your iPhone to Apple�s iTunes program. For the iPhones in production at the time of publication, the computer system requirements are as follows:

� A Mac computer running OS X 10.5.8 or newer with a USB 2.0 port, or a Windows computer with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7, Vista, or XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or newer. Note that the system requirements are constantly changing as both iPhone and computer features evolve. We recommend viewing the most recent system requirements before you make any purchase decision (http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html).

� iTunes 9.2 or newer.

� iTunes Store account.

� Internet access.

Before you purchase an iPhone, make sure that you have a computer on hand that is up to the task.

 NOTE: If you haven�t installed iTunes on your computer, download a free copy from http://www.apple.com/itunes. Versions are available for both Mac OS X and Windows systems, and they�re easy and quick to install.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

How to select your iOS4 iPhone

At any given time, there are relatively few models of iPhones available, all of them come with iOS 4, representing a new generation of the operating system software that powers the features of the iPhone. Usually you�ll see an entry-level iPhone that is less powerful and has less memory, as well as the current model with state-of-the-art features and much more memory.

How do you choose the model that�s right for you? It all comes down to two factors: cameras and memory. The first generation of the iPhone 4 has two cameras: a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash that�s capable of taking high-definition video and a front-facing camera that is perfect for shooting self-portraits and making video calls. As for memory, you need to make a decision about whether you want to double the purchase price of your phone for a few more gigabytes of memory. We recommend getting as much memory as you can. If you load a lot of movies and videos onto your device, you can run out of space on a top-of-the-line iPhone very quickly.

Here are some questions to ask you while selecting the model of iPhone to purchase:

� How big is your music library? If your library is small, a unit with less memory might be fine. If it�s large, the extra space on some iPhone models helps to store additional music and podcasts.

� How many videos do you want to carry around? A single two-hour movie may occupy more than a gigabyte of storage. If you travel a lot, especially on airplanes, you may want to pay more to store additional movies and TV shows with those extra gigabytes.

� Do you plan on using your iPhone as your primary camera and camcorder? If you do, then look at the more sophisticated models with higher resolution, flash, and high-definition (HD) video capabilities. If you already carry a digital camera or camcorder with you on a regular basis or don�t frequently shoot photos or video with your existing phone, then the base iPhone model may be for you.

� Is the thought of making video calls exciting to you? For some people, just answering a regular cell phone call is a challenge. But if you love to have regular face-to-face conversations with friends and relatives, then you may want to consider the model with the built-in FaceTime video calling feature.

� Do you need to carry lots of data? Many iPhone apps use iTunes data storage and can synchronize files with your computer. Whether that data consists of presentation slide shows, project management files, or some other information that you need at your fingertips, the size of the data being stored can add up quickly. If you think you might need to do this, maybe the extra gigabytes on a more expensive iPhone model could be put to good use.

� How long do you intend to keep this iPhone? If you�re an early adopter who likes to trade up at the earliest possible opportunity whenever Apple offers a new model of iPhone, you may want to �buy in cheap� each time the new models are released and sell your old iPhone on the aftermarket. If you�d rather get the most use out of the iPhone over the longest period of time, then paying more up front means you won�t outgrow the iPhone quite as fast.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

The Mobile Ad Boom

Mobile Ad Boom

Mobile advertising businesses continue to feel the positive effects of the smartphone wars, not to mention the announcement of Apple�s iAd platform and Google�s $700 acquisition of AdMob earlier in the year. Mobile ad network Greystripe recently reported a huge increase to its revenues while another mobile ad network, inMobi, recently secured a large sum of series B funding. Mobile ad platform and analytics firm Medialets announced a big round of funding of its own after declaring that its revenue has been doubling month over month this year. Apple, meanwhile, has rolled out some early features of its new program in the U.S. and is expected to launch iAds in the U.K. in September. Though still in its infancy, the fast-maturing mobile ad market is predicted to explode into a $12 to $14 billion industry by 2014.

Source of Information : Website Magazine October 2010