Category: Featured News

Mobile security suffers a blow from new hacking trend

| March 8, 2013

Hackers Mobile SecurityMobile security becoming a serious issue as hackers find way to exploit Google Play

A new trend is emerging in the world of malware, and it is targeting the Android platform. Hackers are beginning to work their way into Google Play by disguising their malware as legitimate applications. Typically, Google can remove these applications from the Play store with relative ease, but many hackers are hijacking Play accounts from legitimate developers to avoid Google’s own protection methods. This trend could be a major blow against the Android and the platforms ongoing fight in the realm of mobile security.

Google may be unable to keep up with emerging trends in the mobile security space

Mobile security is quickly becoming more important than physical security. The information consumers share through their mobile devices is very valuable, especially to those that know how to exploit such information. Given that mobile technology is relatively new, the security of mobile devices and mobile applications has yet to mature. While Google has taken steps to ensure the security of the Play marketplace, many hackers have found a way to completely circumvent the company’s endeavors in mobile security.

Hackers target developers and not just consumers

Many hackers are beginning to target legitimate developers rather than just consumers. Developer Play accounts are being hijacked and used to distribute applications disguised as safe pieces of software. In many cases, this malware is actually being marketed as mobile security software for smartphones and tablets. Hacking a developer Play account is not the only method that malicious parties are using to gain access to consumers. Some are simply buying these accounts from developers outright.

Developers offered funds for each malicious application they publish to Google Play

Some hacking groups are offering $100 to developers with verified Play accounts for each malicious application they publish. Google charges developers $25 to put an application on the Play marketplace, which can be a hefty sum for small scale developers that do not have a strong presence in the mobile market. Hackers are preying on these developers by offering them a financial incentive to distribute malicious applications and circumvent the mobile security protections that Google has put in place.

NASA sets sights on mobile games

| March 8, 2013

Mobile Games NASANASA looks to mobile games to promote space exploration

The game industry has long been considered a field of entertainment. Games offer people an escape from boredom and a chance to enjoy a virtual world that they would not get to experience normally. Mobile games have become very popular, as they can be played anywhere and at any time. They are also becoming increasingly important in the world of science, where the concept of gaming is having a profound impact on research.

Developers called upon by NASA

NASA has issued a call to hundreds of game developers, many of whom specialize in mobile games. These developers are being summoned to the agency’s Ames Research Center in California, where they will participate  in an initiative designed to combine games with science. Developers answering the call will be asked to create games that are designed to make real science and technology appeal to the general public. These games will highlight the advancements being made in aerospace exploration.

Mobile games may encourage people to get involved in exploration

NASA is eager to find new people that are interested in exploring space, and believes that gamers may be the ideal candidates. Mobile games will be used to reach out to these people, encouraging them to examine the prospects of space exploration and discovering the secrets of the universe. The games that will be developed at the Ames Research Center will touch upon a wide array of scientific theories, all of which are firmly rooted in actual science and not science-fiction.

NASA has a history with games

This is not the first time NASA has shown interest in mobile games. The agency is responsible for Moonbase Alpha, a lunar exploration game, and Mars Rover Landing, which mimicked the Curiosity’s recent arrival to Mars. Whether mobile games will make space exploration more appealing to gamers has yet to be seen, as many of these people have been steeped in games that depict a somewhat scientifically inaccurate representation of space for the sake of entertainment.