Bait Phone
You may be familiar with the truTV program Bait Car, where the police place a vehicle equipped with hidden cameras and radio trackers in various areas to catch a would be car thief in the act. It’s kinda fun to watch people ‘check out’ the car, check out the surroundings and decide to jump in and drive off. You get to see their excitement as they think that they’ve just won the jackpot along with the utter despair as officers remotely kill the car and the thief is surrounded. Even the excuses as to why they are driving it are hilarious. ‘I was just moving it for my friend, so they wouldn’t get a ticket, whose name I forgot and I also can’t remember where they live.’ In the UK, they got something similar except with mobile phones called ‘Operation Mobli.’ Plain clothes police purposely left "bait" phones embedded with tracking devices in nine pubs and bars across the towns of Hastings and St Leonards in Sussex. I’m not sure what makes and models of phones were left for the taking but none of the baited devices were stolen. In every case, an honest patron noticed the ‘forgotten’ phone and turned in to the bar staff. Some might describe this sting as a failure but according to the Sussex Police’s press release Sgt Ché Donald said, ‘This was an excellent result and my faith has been restored as the phones were honestly handed in.’ I often write about the potential perils of losing a smartphone crammed with private data and all the unfortunate circumstances that follow. If it gets into the wrong hands then that is the case yet we must also remember that there are plenty of good, honest folks out there who will do the right thing when they find something that doesn’t belong to them. Maybe they’ve seen police sting shows, maybe they’ve lost something themselves, maybe their parents raised them right or maybe it’s simply kindness and honesty that’s built into every one of us. Human’s are capable of the greatest good and the nastiest of evil, it’s all how we decide to play it. ps References: Operation Mobli deters mobile phone thieves in Hastings Police mobile phone sting fails when.. err.. no handsets stolen Mobile-phone 'sting' reveals honesty of Sussex pubgoers Police Sting Operation Yields No Mobile Phone Thefts It's legal: cops seize cell phone, impersonate owner What’s in Your Smartphone? Freedom vs. Control BYOD–The Hottest Trend or Just the Hottest Term Will BYOL Cripple BYOD?Apps Driving Attention
The mobile platform, meaning tablets and smartphones, now account for 60% of total digital media time spent according to comScore. This is a 10 point jump from 50% just a year ago. On top of that, mobile apps accounted for 51% of all digital media time spent in May 2014. Many of the content categories like radio, photos and maps are becoming almost exclusively mobile. Digital radio and photos both generate 96% of their engagement from mobile while maps and instant messaging get 90% of interaction from mobile devices. You might be wondering, like I did, where do social networks come in since it seem like almost everyone updates their social feeds through mobile. Social is actually the #1 category for overall digital engagement taking about 20% of overall digital time spent and gets 71% of it's activity from mobile. It, social media engagement on mobile, has grown 55% over the last year and has accounted for 31% of all growth of internet engagements. So who is driving the mobile app explosion? Teenagers. About 60% of 12 to 17 year olds had a smartphone in 2013, topping even the 45+ crowd for smartphone ownership, according to Arbitron and Edison Research. The app money makers are not the initial charge for the program but all the in-app purchases along with the ads attached to the app. Mobile is clearly the new way we consume digital content and continues to grow. We are also interacting with specific apps rather than browsing and those apps are growing at an amazing pace. Today's infrastructure needs to be even more flexible, intelligent and resilient to handle the surge. And ultimately, the apps and the content/experience they provide need to be highly available and delivered quickly and securely to the person...just like any other typical application. ps Related: Major Mobile Milestones in May: Apps Now Drive Half of All Time Spent on Digital Who's driving the mobile app economy? Our kids Invasion of Privacy - Mobile App Infographic Style The Applications of Our Lives What's in Your Smartphone? Technorati Tags: mobile,apps,tablet,smartphone,social media,humans,society,silva,security Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:Mobile Malware Milestone
Did you celebrate or castigate? You might not know but last week was the 10 year birthday of Cabir, the first mobile malware. It spread through Bluetooth after infecting the Nokia Series 60 phones running Symbian. Also last week, Kindsight Security Labs (Alcatel-Lucent) released the results of a study (pdf) that found more than 11.6 million mobile devices are infected by mobile malware at any given time and that mobile infections increased 20% globally in 2013. This, obviously, increases risk for stolen personal and financial information, can lead to bill shock resulting from hijacked data usage, or extortion to regain control of the device along with allowing bad guys to remotely track location, download contact lists, intercept/send messages, record conversations and best of all, take pictures. About 60% of all mobile infections involved Android devices that downloaded malicious software from the Google Play store and 40% were Android phones that received malicious code while tethered to a Windows laptop. Both Blackberry and iPhone combined to represent less than 1% of all infected devices. 4G LTE devices are the most likely to be infected and the number of mobile malware samples grew 20X in 2013. This will only get worse as new strains are released, like the proof of concept code that is capable of tracking your taps and swipes as you use a smartphone. That's right, monitor touch events. Say a phone has not been touched in a while and suddenly there is 4 touch events. Well, that's probably a PIN, according to Forbes contributor Tamlin Magee. Add to that a screenshot, now you can overlay the touches with the screenshot and know exactly what is being entered. You know it and I know it: The more we become one with our mobile devices, the more they become targets. It holds our most precious secrets which can be very valuable to some. We need to use care when operating such a device since, in many ways, our lives depend on it. And it is usually around this point in the article that I chastise mobile users for careless behavior but in this instance, there are certainly times where there is nothing you can do. You can be paranoid, careful and only visit the branded app stores yet the risk is still present. Ten years in and we're just getting started. ps Related: Mobile malware is ten years old today Alcatel-Lucent reports 2013 surge in mobile network infections affects 11.6 million devices How People Really Use Mobile Terrifying new smartphone malware tracks your swipes to steal your PIN Trustwave Demonstrates Malware That Logs Touchscreen Swipes To Record Your PIN Kindsight Security Labs Malware Report – Q4 2013 (pdf) Mobile Threats Rise 261% in Perspective The Million Mobile Malware March 2014: The year of mobile…or not? What is mobile malware? Mobile ad networks muddy the answer Technorati Tags: malware,mobile,smartphone,andriod,iphone,security,privacy,identity theft,silva,f5 Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:The Million Mobile Malware March
Milestone has been breached according to Trend Micro. Just a few months ago, they reported in their 2Q Security Roundup that there were 718,000 malicious or risky Andriod mobile apps available (up from 509,000 in Q1) and crystal-ball'd that the million mobile malware milestone would be reached by the end of 2013. Well, it came a couple months early. Contained in that million are straight pieces of malware, those that abuse premium services like sending unauthorized text messages to certain numbers and registering people to costly services along with high-risk apps, those that aggressively serve ads that lead to dubious sites. They found that 75% perform outright malicious routines, while another 25% exhibit dubious routines, which include adware. The most infamous malware families included FAKEINST at 34% and OPFAKE at 30%. FAKEINST is typically disguised as a legitimate app and was responsible for the fake Bad Piggies versions, which were found right after the game’s release. They can also register users for costly services by sending unauthorized text messages to those services for enrollment. in its ability to wolf legitimate apps clothing but it was also able to launch a web page that asks the person to download a potentially malicious file. Those are the primary risks but there are many others with this type of malware. Such fun. For the high risk apps, ARPUSH came in at 33% and LEADBLT garnered 27% of the total. These are known to steal data like GPS location and OS information along with delivering malware. The threats don't stop with these gems. Crooks are also looking to hijack mobile banking transactions with FAKEBANK and FAKETOKEN malware variants. They like to spoof legitimate financial apps along with the ever popular phishing notices enticing people to enter personal info. And I thought mobile devices were supposed to make our lives easier. Hmm. The dedicated circuit of a couple cans with high speed twine (HST) sounds a lot more secure these days. ps Related: Mobile Malware, High-Risk Apps Hit 1M Mark 2Q Security Roundup: Mobile Flaws Form Lasting Security Problems Mobile Malware, High-Risk Apps Hit 1 Million Mark: Trend Micro Mobile Malware Issues Persist as Devices Remain Exposed Malicious apps, mobile malware reaches 1 million mark Mobile Security Apps Perform Dismally against Spyware OpFake, FakeInst Android Malware Variants Continue to Resist Detection A Look at Mobile Banking Threats Mobile Threats Rise 261% in Perspective Where Do You Wear Your Malware? Q. The Safest Mobile Device? A. Depends The Malware Mess Can two cans and a string really be used to talk over a distance? Technorati Tags: mobile,malware,adware,smartphone,privacy,security,risk,byod,threats,android,ios,silva,trendmicro Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:Bring Your Own A-Z
The #BYO craze has taken the world by storm and now infiltrates every sector of out lives. Here is a partial list, in alpha-order, of various bring your owns. BYO Apple: For the teacher in your life, the princess you'd like to put to sleep or to keep the doctor away for a day. BYO Beer: The original classic, college style. And BYO Booze for when you're out of college and got a little cash. BYO Candy: With Halloween approaching this could see a surge over the next 30 days. BYO Device: Or danger, destruction, demolition, detonator or any other dastardly 'D' word to represent risk. BYO Everything: When Internet of Things takes over our lives. Chocolate Chips have a whole new meaning. BYO Food: The newest Potluck Parties. BYO Game: Actually sitting at a table playing the physical versions of Monopoly, Life, Candy Land, Scrabble, or any other favorite. BYO Hacker: Bodyguards in the 21st Century. BYO Intelligence: Actually using your brain to figure out something...or when AI robots take over the world. BYO Jump Drive: A whistleblower's favorite. BYO Kittens: For making that irresistible, can't-stop-watching, almost viral video. BYO Litigation: The new term for Small Claims Court. BYO Money: What Cash with be called 10 years from now. BYO N: BYO's maximum amount. As far as BYOingly possible. BYO OMG: The Surprise Party. BYO Presents: What you take to the BYO OMG. BYO Quarrel: The updated version of an older brother's favorite 'Stop Hitting Yourself.' BYO Raven: Quoth he. BYO Sushi: The new 'Gone Fishing' Bumper sticker. BYO Time: It's all relative anyway. BYO Utopia: Happiness comes from within. BYO Vacation: The latest Griswold adventure this time with a Hybrid LTD Country Squire. BYO Warnings: Wouldn't be cool if everyone had to announce the hazards of interacting with them? BYO X: Half of a Tic-Tac-Toe game or how Hawaiians greet each other. BYO Yawn: What you did right now when you read this entry. BYO Zombie: Pretty much anyone walking around fully engaged with their BYOD. Well that was fun. C'mon play along - it's easy and works with almost any word! ps Related: How Terms Have Changed over Time BYOD Injuries BYOD–The Hottest Trend or Just the Hottest Term Is BYO Already D? Will BYOL Cripple BYOD? Freedom vs. Control The Prosecution Calls Your Smartphone to the Stand Technorati Tags: byod,mobile,smartphone,lists,humor,fun,byo,silva,human,society,mam,mdm Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:BIG-IP Edge Client v1.0.6 for iOS 7
With all your other iOS 7 updates (if you've made the plunge), if you are running the BIG-IP Edge Client on your iPhone, iPod or iPad, you may have gotten an AppStore alert for an update. If not, I just wanted to let you know that version 1.0.6 of the iOS Edge Client is available at the AppStore with iOS 7 support. Customers who use UDID in their access policies should have users update to this version. The BIG-IP Edge Client application from F5 Networks secures and accelerates mobile device access to enterprise networks and applications using SSL VPN and optimization technologies. Access is provided as part of an enterprise deployment of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, Edge Gateway, or FirePass SSL-VPN solutions. BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS Features: Provides accelerated mobile access when used with F5 BIG-IP Edge Gateway. Automatically roams between networks to stay connected on the go. Full Layer 3 network access to all your enterprise applications and files. ps Related: Manual: BIG-IP Edge Apps Client Compatibility Matrix BIG-IP Edge Client and BIG-IP Edge Portal for Apple iOS and Android software support policy Release Note: BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS 1.0.6 Advanced Edge Client Installation for Windows–The Mysteries of Windows Installer Revealed F5 BIG-IP Edge Client F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal F5 BIG-IP Edge Client for Android Technorati Tags: f5,big-ip,edge client,ssl-vpn,mobile,smartphone,ios7,apple,iphone,ipad,silva,remote access,security,secure access,apm Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:BYOD Injuries
This BYOD installment brought to you by, Bring Your Own Doctor Is your mobile device so attractive that you can't keep your eyes off it? Is every phone call so life changing that you are unaware of your surroundings? Do you constantly have to update social media as if you were on a reality series? Do you feel useless unless you are tapping away on a touch screen? Have you come close to being in a bad accident due to being in a world of your own? If you answered 'yes,' then you might be a perfect candidate for the hot new mobile companion, Bring Your Own Doctor!! Pedestrian injuries related to cell phone use are on the rise. Have you ever been so involved with your mobile device that you've bumped into, tripped over, fallen off, fallen in or hit by something because you were not paying attention to where you were going? You are not alone. A recent study shows that pedestrian cell phone-related injuries have more than doubled since 2005. Typically we hear of the horrors of using your mobile device while driving; the risk of personal devices on corporate networks; the dangers of downloading malicious apps and now distracted walking is becoming yet another hazard of this mobile craze. They looked at seven years of emergency room data (2004-2010) from 100 hospitals around the country which showed that bodily injuries (in public places, not at home) related to cell phones ranged from falling off walkways or bridges to walking in front of moving traffic. In 2010 the study found that 1,500 pedestrians were treated in emergency rooms for cell-phone related incidents, as opposed to 559 in 2004. The number has risen every year and could easily double again for the 2010-2015 time frame. The actual injuries are probably higher since many people are hurt and do not visit the ER. The under 30 crowd, specially those between the ages of 16 and 25, are the most at risk. Are you surprised? I'm not. Everywhere you go, people have their devices out and head's down. People will go to the park, only to sit on the bench with their phones out. You can find plenty of 'falling into the mall fountain' YouTube videos due to people in a stare down contest with their phone. For pedestrians, talking on the phone accounted for about 69% of injuries, verses texting, which accounted for about 9%. This is not because texting is necessarily safer than talking and walking. Instead, it is probably because less people actually text while walking than talk while on foot. A couple of the injuries reported included a 14-year-old boy walking down a road while talking on a cell phone fell 6 to 8 feet off a bridge into a rock-strewn ditch, suffering chest and shoulder injuries. A 23-year-old man was struck by a car while walking on the middle line of a road and talking on a cell phone, injuring his hip. I'm sure you have your own story of some trip, slip or busted lip due to distracted mobile use. We usually hear about the digital dangers of mobile use along with the dreaded distracted driver and now there's proof that putting one foot in front of the other - the crowning achievement of any infant - has too, succumbed to technology. ps Related: Study: Cell phone-related pedestrian injuries soar Distracted Walking: Injuries Soar for Pedestrians on Phones Texting While Walking Accidents: Video Girl Falls In Mall Fountain While Texting The New Wallet: Is it Dumb to Carry a Smartphone? Freedom vs. Control Technorati Tags: byod,mobile,smartphone,injuries,emergency room,doctor,silva,f5 Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:Hackable Homes
Is your house vulnerable? Imagine coming home, disarming the alarm system, unlocking your doors and walking into a ransacked dwelling. There are no broken windows, no forced entry, no compromised doggie doors and really no indication that an intruder had entered. Welcome to your connected home. I stop short of calling it a 'smart' home since it's not yet intelligent enough to keep the bad guys out. From smartphone controlled front door locks to electrical outlets to security cameras to ovens, refrigerators and coffee machines, internet connected household objects are making their way into our homes. Our TVs, DVDs and DVRs are already. And anything connected to the internet, as we all know, is a potential target to be compromised. Researchers have shown how easy it is to infect automobiles and it is only a matter of time before crooks and a little bit of code will be able to watch you leave your driveway, disable your alarms, unlock your door, steal your valuables and get out with minimal trace. Those CSI/NCIS/Criminal Minds/L&O crime dramas will need to come up with some new ideas on how to solve the mystery during the trace-evidence musical montages. The hard-nosed old timer is baffled by the fact that there is nothing to indicate a break-in except for missing items. Is the victim lying for insurance fraud? Could it have been a family member? Or simply a raccoon? A real who-done-it! Until, of course, the geeky lab technician emerges from their lair with a laptop showing how the hacker remotely controlled the entire event. 'Look Boss, zeros and ones!' Many of these remotely controlled home devices use a wireless communications protocol called Z-Wave. It's a low power radio wave that allows home devices to communicate with each other and be controlled remotely over the internet. Last year, 1.5 million home automation products were sold in the US and that is expected to grow to 8 million in less than 5 years. An estimated 5 million Z-Wave devices will be shipped this year. Like any communications protocol, riff-raff will attempt to break it, intercept it and maliciously control it. And as the rush to get these connected devices in consumer's hands and homes grows, security protections may lag. I often convey that the hacks of the future just might involve your refrigerator. Someone takes out all the internet enabled fridges on the West Coast and there is a food spoilage surge since no one owns legacy fridges any more....let alone Styrofoam coolers. ps Related: 'Smart homes' are vulnerable, say hackers The five scariest hacks we saw last week From Car Jacking to Car Hacking The Prosecution Calls Your Smartphone to the Stand Mobile Threats Rise 261% in Perspective Q. The Safest Mobile Device? A. Depends Holiday Shopping SmartPhone Style SmartTV, Smartphones and Fill-in-the-Blank Employees Technorati Tags: blackhat,hacks,vulnerabilities,breach,home,house,smart phone,smart technology,silva,security,z-wave,smart devices,household Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:Back to School BYOB Style
Bring Your Own Brain According to a study conducted by Harris Interactive and Pearson, 90% of today’s elementary, middle and high school students believe that mobile devices will change the way students learn in the future (92%) and make learning more fun (90%). The majority (69%) of those same students would like to use mobile devices more in the classroom. One-third of grades 4-12 students said that they have used a tablet for school work this academic year (34% have used a full-size tablet and 32% have used a small tablet), while 44% said they have used a smartphone for school work. Among students who use a tablet for school work, 52% use a device that they own personally, rather than borrow from the school and 70% would like to use mobile devices more often in their classrooms. Only one in six say that their school provides the tablets. The Pearson Student Mobile Device Survey was conducted to better understand how students use mobile technology for learning. The survey focused on how students use the mobile devices they currently own for learning, and how they would like to use those devices in the future. The survey asked students from grade 4 through college about the mobile devices that they own and intend to buy; how they currently use mobile devices for school work and how they expect to use them in the future; and their attitudes towards tablets for learning. Teachers also love technology. Onlineuniversities.com reports that 90% of teachers have a laptop or PC in the classroom and 60% have access to an interactive whiteboard. 35% have tablets or e-readers in the classroom, up from 20% just a year ago and 71% say that apps are beneficial for teaching. 65% indicate that technology lets them demonstrate things they could not show any other way. It allows them to reinforce or expand on content, helps motivate students and accommodates multiple learning styles. Research shows that students who are exposed to media-rich content in the classroom (like video), outperform non-exposed peers on tests, are more active in class discussions, and apply more varied approaches to problem solving. By 2017, streaming video will represent the majority of all mobile traffic – and if school BYOD programs continue to be successful, much of this traffic could come from the classroom. ps Related: New Study Reveals U.S. Students Believe Strongly That Mobile Devices Will Improve Education Pearson Student Mobile Device Survey 2013 (pdf) The Current State Of Technology In The Classroom [Infographic] Teachers Love Technology Why video is the unlikely common denominator in ed-tech Technorati Tags: byod,mobile,smartphone,tablet,classroom,education,school,learning,teachers,students,silva,video Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:BYOD 2.0 -- Moving Beyond MDM
#BYOD has quickly transformed IT, offering a revolutionary way to support the mobile workforce. The first wave of BYOD featured MDM solutions that controlled the entire device. In the next wave, BYOD 2.0, control applies only to those apps necessary for business, enforcing corporate policy while maintaining personal privacy. The #F5 Mobile App Manager is a complete mobile application management platform built for BYOD 2.0 ps Related: F5's Feeling Alive with Newly Unveiled Mobile App Manager Inside Look - F5 Mobile App Manager (Video) BYOD - More Than an IT Issue (Video) Is BYO Already D? Will BYOL Cripple BYOD? Freedom vs. Control BYOD Uptake Has Only Just Begun BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 1: Liability BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 2: Device Choice BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 3: Economics BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 4: User Experience and Privacy BYOD Policies – More than an IT Issue Part 5: Trust Model Technorati Tags: f5,byod,mam,mdm,mobile,smartphone,big-ip,policy,security,privacy,legal,video,silva,mobile app manager Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:
