aLTEr: Hackers can spy on your 4G browsing sessions thanks to LTE flaws
Vulnerabilities have been discovered in LTE that would make it possible for an attacker to tap into 4G networks for the purposes of spying on and hijacking 4G browsing sessions.
Security researchers from Ruhr-Universität, Bochum and New York University, Abu Dhabi show how three different attacks can be launched on the second layer of LTE -- also known as the data link layer. Two passive attacks allow for identity mapping and website fingerprinting, while the active cryptographic aLTEr attack allows for DNS spoofing and network connection redirection.
One in every 17 mobile devices is used to conduct bad bot attacks
Cybercriminals are using mobile devices to avoid detection and execute a number of nefarious acts, according to a new report.
The study from bot mitigation specialist Distil Networks finds 5.8 percent -- around one in 17 -- of all mobile devices across six major cellular networks are used in such automated attacks and represent eight percent of all bad bot traffic.
T-Mobile is ready to launch FamilyMode to help parents monitor and control internet and device usage
Parents have concerns about not only how long their children spend online, but also what they are using various connected devices for. In just a few days' time, T-Mobile is launching its answer to the problem: FamilyMode.
This is a service that makes it possible to keep an eye on how long devices are being used for, and to monitor internet usage. FamilyMode uses a hardware base station and a mobile app (available for iOS and Android) to give parents monitoring and control over devices connected via either Wi-Fi or cellular.
Google Account revamped -- increased transparency and new security and privacy options
Google has unveiled a new look for users' accounts, making information clearer, improving transparency and adding new options.
To make it easy to find information, Google has added a search function and there's also a cleaner look to aid navigation. Building on the previous update to Security Checkup, your Google account now also highlights settings you can change to improve your security.
Media and entertainment companies have riskier mobile apps
As the world increasingly turns to mobile devices to access the internet and conduct business, so firms are eager to put out their own apps.
But new research from security ratings company BitSight reveals that many companies may be rushing out apps that have vulnerabilities which could lead to data leakage, privilege abuse, unencrypted personally identifiable information (PII), and credential theft.
EE launches smart number technology, enabling customers to call and text across multiple devices with a single phone number
EE has announced the launch of a new smart number technology which enables its customers to use their phone number across multiple devices at no extra cost.
Initially, the service will be available to Apple users, giving them the option of using their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac -- up to five devices in total -- to send and receive text messages, and place and receive phone calls. The same options will make their way to Android devices at some point in the future.
The challenges of securing mobile devices
Mobile devices now account for around half of web traffic and inevitably that makes them more attractive to hackers who see new attack routes via mobile apps.
The Information Security Forum is launching a new paper, Securing Mobile Apps: Embracing Mobile, Balancing Control, describing the security challenges associated with acquiring, using and operating mobile apps, and suggesting actions to manage those challenges, while maintaining the business benefits.
A third of IT professionals don't know how many endpoints they manage
A poll of 1,000 IT professionals across North America and Europe finds that while 88 percent of respondents acknowledge the importance of endpoint management, nearly a third don't know how many endpoints they actually manage.
The study by identity and access management company LogMeIn shows a worrying 30 percent of IT professionals don't know how many endpoint devices exist within their organization. Those who do report an average of 750 endpoints including servers, employee computers and mobile devices.
Cryptomining dominates mobile threat landscape
Threat actors are increasingly looking to exploit the popularity and volatility of cryptocurrency in their attacks on mobile devices according to a new report.
The latest Mobile Threat Landscape report from threat management specialist RiskIQ analyzed 120 mobile app stores and more than two billion daily scanned resources.
Enterprise data increasingly accessed from mobile devices
Enterprise users are increasingly authenticating into applications from non-office networks, with a 10 percent increase in the average number of unique networks according to the latest Trusted Access Report from Duo Security.
Duo also found that 43 percent of requests to access protected applications and data came from outside of the corporate office and network. People are logging into applications, networks and systems wherever, and whenever as work hours start to flex to fit different lifestyles, time zones and travel.
FCC investigates LocationSmart website for leaking location data for users of major US mobile carriers
LocationSmart, a company based in Southern California, is under investigation by the FCC after it was discovered that its website made it possible for just about anyone to access location data for the majority of US cell phones.
Security expert Brian Krebs reported that a bug on the LocationSmart website made it possible for anyone to check on the location of any AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon phone in the US. Even more worryingly, the data is said to be accurate to a few hundred yards.
Fortnite for Android is coming very soon
The phenomenon that is Fortnite will be making its way to Android, Epic Games has revealed.
An Android version of the game is something that mobile gamers have been begging for for some time now, and it seems it will not be long until these pleas are answered. While an exact release date has not been revealed, Fortnite for Android will be happening in the next few months.
US and UK blacklist China's ZTE
The US Department of Commerce has implemented a ban on American companies selling components to ZTE. The Chinese telecoms firm is being punished for violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea after pleading guilty last year.
At the same time, the UK's cyber defense watchdog, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), has warned UK telecoms firms that the use of ZTE equipment or services pose a risk to national security. The action taken by the two nations is expected to have severe implications for the company.
Mobile phishing click rate increases 85 percent
A new report from mobile security specialist Lookout exposes the growing risk from phishing attacks on mobile devices, with an increase in the number of users clicking on URLs that bypass security controls.
The mobile phishing URL click rate has increased 85 percent year-on-year. 56 percent of Lookout users received and clicked on their mobile device a phishing URL that bypassed existing layers of phishing defense.
Breakthrough in AI cuts battery drain of mobile voice UIs
We've become increasingly used to technology that uses 'wake words' like, "Hey, Cortana" to initiate interaction.
But this technology has, so far, failed to make a big impact in the mobile apps arena, the main reason being the battery drain created by having an app that's constantly listening. That could be about to change as Silicon Valley company Sensory is announcing a breakthrough in running its TrulyHandsfree wake word and speech recognition AI engine directly on Android and iOS smartphone applications at low-power.
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