Mobile

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

Few people can claim to like the ads that have become part and parcel of smartphone usage, but for the most part they can be endured. But what about when a minor inconvenience that merely infringes on your time becomes even more of a nuisance and actually starts to kill your phone battery?

According to an investigation, this is precisely what has been happening. An ad fraud scheme has been uncovered that invisibly plays videos lucrative video ads on handsets, earning money for fraudsters and draining the batteries of Android handsets.

Multi-factor authentication specialist Veridium is launching a new behavior analytics feature to better protect user identities and prevent malicious activity.

Incorporated in the VeridiumID authentication platform, InMotion increases the reliability of all native biometrics for authentication by pairing behavioral data captured on smartphones with users' biometrics, making it more difficult for malicious actors to spoof their fingerprints or faces to gain access to accounts.

As enterprises continue the shift towards mobile devices there's concern that the risks could begin to outweigh the benefits.

Mobile security specialist Wandera has released a new report on the mobile threat landscape which looks at the risks faced by enterprise mobile users.

A few months ago we reported on a study that found half of calls to mobiles would soon be scams without more effective protection measures being introduced.

First Orion the company behind that survey is addressing the problem with the launch of a new platform that gives consumers confidence in answering calls, but also helps businesses get their legitimate communications through.

Data has become an increasingly popular resource for marketers, new research from marketing platform YouAppi reveals that 98 percent of respondents say they have increased their organizational investment in data.

What's more that investment is paying off, 97 percent say they have seen improvement, with more than half of those calling the improvements ‘significant.’

According to the results of a new study, 58 percent of global consumers have yet to trade in an old mobile device, though 64 percent report they would be willing to do so if more stringent data management processes were in place.

The research by data erasure specialist Blancco shows 66 percent of respondents have some concern that data on their old devices might be accessed or compromised after trade-in.

Mozilla has launched a test version of a new mobile web browser -- sort of, anyway. Known as Reference Browser, Mozilla stresses that "this is NOT a new end product, it is a collection of parts".

Described as a "technology preview", Reference Browser sees the company seeking feedback about various components which may or may not be used together in the future. It is looking for Android users to provide "input, telemetry and feedback and bug reports" to shape the future of mobile web browsing.

The mobile advertising market is massive, around $75 billion worldwide according to Forbes, and that makes it an attractive target for fraudsters.

Fraud rates have almost doubled over the past year and companies are under increasing pressure to monitor data for clients, allowing them to identify and prevent the risk of fraud hurting campaign performance.

Verizon has announced that it is to split into three as it looks to ensure "first-to-market leadership in the 5G era". Starting January 1, 2019, the telecom company will divide into Consumer, Business and Verizon Media Group/Oath.

The company says that it expects its new structure to be reflected in financial reporting for Q2 2019.

In the modern world people often say they care about privacy, but their actions don't reflect their words. Exploring this privacy paradox is a new infographic from privacy app company Keepsafe.

It shows that 35 percent of people have concerns when making purchases on their mobile devices, but 43 percent do so anyway in the name of convenience.