All 4G networks are vulnerable to cyberattack and 5G isn’t immune either
Vulnerabilites in the 'Diameter' signalling protocol used to authenticate and authorize messages and information distribution in 4G networks leave them vulnerable to attack.
Researchers at Positive Technologies replicated the actions of threat actors and their attempts to infiltrate mobile networks were 100 percent successful. They also discovered that the biggest threat was denial of service attacks.
How many Gs? Consumers confused about 3G, 5G and evolving mobile networks
Big changes are happening to mobile networks but many people remain confused or in the dark about what's going on.
A Ting Mobile survey of 1,500 customers across all US carriers finds 79 percent of people have no idea that the 3G network is being phased out across the country by 2021, nor how it will affect them.
Consumers put off smartphone upgrades because of 5G
More than half (51 percent) of global consumers have been waiting for 5G networks and smartphones to become available before upgrading their devices. This stretches to more than 70 percent of people in India and the Philippines.
A survey of over 5,000 people worldwide by Blancco Technology Group finds 45 percent of US consumers have held onto their current device for longer than usual in anticipation of 5G availability, while 61 percent intend to upgrade to a 5G device with 42 percent doing so in the next three to six months.
5G revenue from IoT connections to reach $8 billion by 2025
Operator-billed revenue from 5G IoT connections will reach $8 billion by the end of 2024, up from $525 million in 2020 -- growth of more than 1,400 percent in five years.
A new study from Juniper Research forecasts that 5G IoT connections will be considered as new connections that won't cannibalise existing operator connectivity revenue from current IoT technologies.
Mobile malware incidents increase by 142 percent
According to a new study, 36.5 percent of all organizations have experienced a malware incident on a mobile device in the past year, which represents a 142 percent increase from 2018.
Research from mobile security specialist Wandera finds 57 percent of organizations have experienced a mobile phishing incident, with 60 percent of mobile phishing attacks occurring over HTTPS.
Online retail fraud up nearly a third in the 2019 holiday season
A new study shows a 29 percent increase in suspected online retail fraud during the start of the 2019 holiday shopping season compared to the same period in 2018, and a 60 percent increase over the same period from 2017 to 2019.
The findings from iovation, the fraud prevention arm of TransUnion, are based on the online retail transactions analyzed for its e-commerce customers between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday over the last three years.
RCS is being implemented dangerously, leaving users vulnerable to attack
Security experts from Security Research Labs (SRLabs) have warned that carriers are implementing RCS (Rich Communication Services which will supersede SMS) in ways that risk leaving users exposed to all manner of attack.
The German hacking research collective issues the stark warning that "RCS technology exposes most mobile users to hacking". This is not because of inherent problems with the messaging protocol, but with the ways in which it is being implement.
Consumers favor subscription apps over one-off purchases
Mobile users are becoming far more willing to subscribe to a service than to make a one-time purchase according to a new report.
A study from mobile user acquisition specialist Liftoff has analyzed more than 349 billion impressions across 992 mobile apps, 5.35 billion clicks and 76.6 million total post-install events.
Half of risky online transactions come from mobile devices
New research from fraud prevention and multi-factor authentication specialist iovation reveals that 49 percent of all risky transactions now come from mobile devices, up from 30 percent in 2018, 33 percent in 2017 and 25 percent in 2016.
Looked at geographically, North America with 59 percent of all risky transactions coming from mobile devices, leads the way. In 2018, it was Asia at 53 percent. In 2017, it was North America with 55 percent, and in 2016, it was North America again with 36 percent.
Financial services businesses at high risk of mobile attacks
Financial services are at greater risk of phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks on mobile devices than businesses in other industries according to a new report.
The study from mobile security specialist Wandera analyzed mobile device data from 225 financial services customers and reveals financial services organizations are experiencing a higher volume of phishing attacks than their peers in other sectors (57 percent compared to 42 percent cross-industry).
UK gets an easier way to switch mobile providers
If you've ever tried to switch mobile phone providers in the UK you'll know that if you want to keep your existing number after the transfer it involves getting a PAC (porting authorization code) from your old provider.
Obtaining this has in the past involved phoning them up and having them plead with you not to leave while offering you all kinds of special deals to persuade you to stay. Well not any more.
Do mobile operating systems provide enough protection against cyber threats?
Every year a new iPhone hits the market and there are thousands of different Android devices in circulation. Both Apple and Google are constantly adding new features and functions to incorporate emerging technologies, maintain competitiveness, and cement their reputations as innovators.
Commercial focus typically sits with the clamor of more surface-level, UI related features like Memojis, Group FaceTime, gesture navigation, the features that consumers are drawn to rather than the patching of CVE-2018-4249. It’s all a matter of priorities, people want a device with all the mod cons, a mobile device just needs to be secure enough, meeting minimum expectations. It also doesn’t help that there has been a long held misconception that mobile OSs are secure enough and users don’t need a security solution. Despite mobile OSs becoming relatively hardened, usage is very different compared to traditional form factors, and there are a number of threat vectors that an OS can’t protect against.
Huawei says US government is 'ignorant of technology'
Having faced accusations of conducting espionage on behalf of the Chinese government, Huawei has lashed out at the US government, accusing officials of being "ignorant of technology".
Huawei has been hit with numerous bans by the US, and the country has encouraged others around the world to follow its lead. But the company's chief security officer, John Suffolk, says there is no evidence that China could make use of Huawei's 5G equipment to spy on people, suggesting that US allegations were politically motivated.
Huawei's 'shoddy' security could mean it is banned from sensitive parts of the UK's 5G network
Concerns about Huawei's "very, very shoddy" security could mean that the Chinese company's technology is barred from key parts of the UK's 5G mobile network.
A UK watchdog has already said that Huawei poses a national security risk, but a statement from the technical director of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre has stepped things up. Dr Ian Levy says that "the security in Huawei is like nothing else -- it's engineering like it's back in the year 2000 -- it's very, very shoddy".
AT&T's 5G E is slower than some 4G connections
If you see a 5G indicator in your phone's status bar, you know you've got a fast connection, right? Think again. The technology world may be eagerly anticipating the capabilities of 5G, but in the US AT&T has simply jumped on the hype bandwagon as a marketing tool.
A new study into the speed of the company's 5G E service found that it is actually slower than 4G offerings from its rivals. Despite the name suggesting a futuristic service with speeds to match, AT&T is actually delivering sub-par performance.
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