Tag: tablet security

Mobile security concerns raised over Firefox OS

| March 6, 2013

Mobile Security FirefoxThe new operating system by Mozilla allows apps to run over the web, but some wonder if this is safe.

The latest web-centric FireFox OS is raising quite a few mobile security questions as it allows apps to be run from the web, which makes things much more convenient for many users, but that could also open the door to a massive wave of malicious software.

Malicious software designed for smartphones and tablets has been a growing problem worldwide.

The new Firefox OS has been released by Mozilla for low-end smartphones and is primarily geared toward consumers in the South American and Eastern European marketplaces. The primary mobile security concern is that it will face a number of considerable challenges in being able to protect those device users from malicious software hidden in the apps that they download and open. This is already becoming highly problematic worldwide, even before the launch of the Firefox concept.

Malicious apps have also been causing mobile security woes among Google and Apple app stores.

Even after extensive mobile security screening by those companies, the harmful applications can still slip through the cracks. Causing even more of an issue are the unofficial marketplaces for Android devices, where popular app knockoffs are among the programs with the largest reputation for being malicious.

There has been a growing response around the world to try to boost mobile security through company and individual efforts. In Mozilla’s case, it won’t be offering apps exclusively through its traditional Firefox Marketplace app store. It will also encourage developers to allow their apps to be downloaded from their own websites or to be run directly from a site. This could mean that even fewer screening procedures will be put into place before the applications are used by consumers.

This is not a first in the industry, as the practice does exist for some Android apps, though it is not at all common. The reason is that it does raise several mobile security concerns and it is preferred to keep the protection efforts more consistent. The new OS is based on HTML5 language, which will allow web apps to work in a comparable way to software on desktop computers.

Mobile security benefits added for iPhone users through IBM

| February 27, 2013

IBM Mobile SecurityThe latest AppScan update will help to make iPhones and iPads more secure through a number of changes.

IBM has just announced the launch of its latest software, which is designed to help to assist developers in securing code and data in apps for iPhones and iPads.

The latest update to the AppScan Source for iOS devices provides developers with flaw alerts.

The latest update for the iOS version of AppScan Source 8.7 is able to search through the application’s code so that it can let developers know when it has identified a flaw within it. IBM has also stated that this powerful mobile security software is able to analyze applications that employees would like to download onto their iPhones and iPads. It can alert them to various types of vulnerabilities that these apps present and can then communicate these potential threats to the I.T. security staff at the organization.

IBM has stated that this software will help to improve mobile security without a negative impact on time to market.

The company explained that the software is able to make the mobile security level better for this apps, without having a harmful effect on their time to market. It supported this statement by making reference to Gartner statistics, which have suggested that 45.6 billion applications were downloaded in 2012, which is why securing various endpoint devices – such as smartphones – should be one of the leading priorities held by a company.

AppScan Source was developed by IBM through an analysis of more than 40,000 apps for iOS devices that were created through the use of the Apple iOS Software Development Kit. Among the features that it currently boasts are JavaScript and Java complete language support, as well as supporting Objective-C. It can also perform call and data flow analysis which will provide trace data. This would provide companies with the ability to create enterprise apps with considerably greater mobile security, regardless of the choice of technology by employees and partners.

According to the IBM director of Application, Data, and Mobile Security, Caleb Barlow, this now capability will allow for the incorporation of “security into their infrastructure and solutions from the design, development and testing phases rather than leaving security to become an afterthought.”