Tag: mobile security problems

Developers find mobile security flaw with Samsung Android devices

Developers associated with XDA Developers, a mobile software development community with over 4 million users worldwide, have found a serious mobile security flaw in recent Samsung mobile devices. One developer, going by the username “Alephzain,” discovered that many Samsung devices that use Google’s Android operating system. The security flaw allowed Alephzain, as well as other developers, to access all of the physical memory contain within a Samsung device. Developers were able to access this memory because of an exploit that provided then with root level permissions.

Flaw could make information vulnerable to theft

Mobile security has been gaining serious attention lately, largely due to the types of information that are stored on mobile devices. A typical smart phone or tablet contains a user’s personal information, such as name, address, and birth date, all of which can be used in identity theft. Mobile devices are quickly becoming mobile payment platforms as well, which means they can store a user’s financial information, such as credit card and bank account numbers. This information is highly valuable to a hacker.

Galaxy S III among most vulnerable devices

According to XDA Developers, the Samsung devices that are most vulnerable are the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy S II, The Galaxy Note II, and Meizu MX. Devices that make use of the Exynos processor are also likely to have some degree of mobile security vulnerabilities. Several developers associated with the community have informed Samsung of the serious security flaw, with one going so far as to hack several mobile devices in order to prove that the flaw exists. There are no known Android malware applications that exploit this particular vulnerability.

Financial information could be at risk

Samsung’s Galaxy S III is one of the most popular smart phones in the world currently, having become a major competitor against the iPhone 5 shortly after its launch. Part of the reason the device is so popular is because of its use of NFC technology for data sharing and mobile commerce. When used to make payments, the device stores a consumer’s financial information. The glaring mobile security flaw that seems to have slipped past Samsung  may have put the financial information of millions of Galaxy S III owners at risk.

Trade groups pan mobile security standards from federal agency

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, a U.S. federal agency that works to develop standards for various forms of technology, recently proposed new standards for mobile security. The proposal was issued in October of this year and calls for more robust mobile security measures to be implemented in order to keep consumers safe from exploitation. Since the proposal was released, however, it has been panned by trade groups that suggest that the standards being introduced are not practical.

Trade group suggests hardware standards could lead to trouble

The Telecommunications Industry Association, a trade group that develops consensus-based industry standards for information and communication technologies, is one of the more outspoken opponents of the proposed mobile security standards. According to the trade group, the proposed standards suggest that mobile security be bolstered through architectural means. This suggests that mobile devices must make use of different hardware than what currently industry standards call for, which could cause problems among trade groups and within the communications industry itself.

Drastic measures may be needed to ensure mobile security

Mobile security is becoming an increasingly serious problem. More consumers are using mobile devices today than they ever have in the past. As consumers become more reliant on these mobile devices in their daily lives, they are becoming ideal targets for hackers who wish to exploit the valuable information that is contained on such devices. The National Institute of Standards and Technology believes that drastic measures may be in order to ensure that mobile security is assured for consumers.

Agency claims better hardware standards are necessary

The National Institute of Standards and Technology suggests that current mobile technology is not adequate enough to ensure the security of consumer information. The agency believes that changes made to the hardware standards that mobile devices are held to are necessary for the sake of mobile security. Trade groups are opposed to this approach because hardware changes mean different standards that could destabilize much of the work that has already gone into standardizing modern mobile technology.