Tag: mobile security standards

Mobile security attracts attention of FTC

Mobile security is a potential catastrophic problem, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection. The federal government has been pushing for more comprehensive mobile security measures to be put in place throughout the country. Mobile applications and the information they collect from consumers has, thus far, been the primary focus of the government’s mobile security concerns, with the FTC aiming to hold applications developers and companies responsible for the information that they collect.

FTC targeting companies collecting consumer information

The issue of mobile security has become more pronounced since the FTC filed a case against Compete, a search marketing firm. Compete uses technology to collect personal data from consumers using its services, without providing these consumers with information about how this data will be used. In the case,  the FTC has prohibited the company from collecting consumer information without the express consent of the consumer. The FTC also closed several cases against companies concerning the use of software that was being used to deliberately spy on consumers.

Google runs afoul of federal government

Google was also targeted by the FTC in late 2012 for circumventing the protocols of Apple’s Safari Internet browser to introduce users to targeted advertisements. The massive technology company was fined a record setting penalty of $22.5 million for breaching mobile security standards. FTC officials are likening the current state of the country’s mobile security practices to the “wild, wild west,” suggesting that many companies operating in the mobile space have little to no concern for mobile security.

Mobile security recommendations coming from the FTC

The FTC is currently developing recommendations concerning mobile security standards titled “Building Trust Through Transparency.” These recommendations are meant to help ensure the protection of consumer information, keeping this data safe from exploitation by marketers and similar groups. The initial recommendations will focus on companies collecting information from mobile consumers. In the future, the FTC will focus more closely on application developers, hoping to further bolster mobile security for consumers.

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.