What Android 4.4 KitKat needs for security
In the soon-to-be-released update of Android, Google is likely to continue its mission of having a mobile operating system as secure as Apple's iOS. Google hasn't said how far up the security ladder it plans to take Android 4.4...
Apple gets a pat on the back for Mavericks iCloud Keychain
Kudos to Apple for trying to solve the problems that make passwords ineffective in preventing the bad guys from hacking people's Web site accounts. While far from perfect, the iCloud Keychain introduced in OS X Mavericks, the...
How governments will help criminals build mobile malware
Hackers working for nation states engaged in cyberespionage have written some of the most sophisticated malware ever discovered in a computer. So future advancements in mobile malware is just as likely to come from a government lab...
Why the iPhone 5s is too good
When it comes to technology and design in consumer electronics, Apple has few peers. But in trying to lead the way in smartphone technology with the iPhone 5s, the company's creativity has given us a reason to step back and...
Let's dump anti-virus software and move on
I have a message for Americans with smartphones: Don't install anti-virus software. It's a waste of money. And I have a message for the security industry: Forget trying to make money on AV products. It's time to move on to...
When scammers strike, does AT&T have your back?
AT&T subscribers have been hit by a scam in which criminals hijack the SIM card in mobile phones to make international calls. With experts warning of more serious swindles to come, one would expect the carrier to move...
What L.A. schools forgot in boneheaded iPad hand out
The sound of ka-ching rang loud and clear at Apple headquarters when the Los Angeles Unified School District embarked on a $1 billion initiative to place an iPad in the hands of each of the more than 600,000 students in the...
Why we fear the mobile wallet
Everything inside the modern-day billfold we've been carrying since the 1950s could go inside our smartphones. Physical credit cards, ID cards, loyalty cards and more could all go away, making our lives a tad simpler.
Fear of the...
Become a hacker. Coding experience not needed.
Anti-virus vendors hoping to generate sales are always looking for ways to scare the bejesus out of you. While everything they say and do shouldn't be ignored, AV vendors should always be judged with their self-interest in...
Apple doesn't walk on water. Nor does Touch ID.
Steve Jobs' genius turned Apple into a three-time market disruptor with the introduction of the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Those were amazing feats that happened because of Jobs. Now that he's gone, Apple is unlikely to throw a fourth...
Security sucks: The Twitter example
The greatest enemy to security is security itself. People use easily crackable passwords, because trying to remember a bunch of random characters for each site demanding a secret code for entry is too difficult. To say it simply,...
iPhone in the enterprise? Forget about it.
The new security features in iOS 7 has made the iPhone a better choice for companies than most Android smartphones. But the battle for business customers is far from over, and Android is looking better in the long term.
Apple vs....
The greatest mobile threats (and Android malware isn't one of them)
Self-interest is behind a lot of the mobile malware reports from anti-virus vendors. Hardly a day goes by where I don't receive an email from a vendor pushing its latest research on malicious software raising havoc on Android...
Why Apple will disappoint businesses with iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner
Many businesses would welcome a reliable fingerprint scanner that employees could use when signing into applications and services on a smartphone. So interest in the fingerprint sensor Apple has included in its soon-to-be released...
Crooks use botnet-for-rent to target Android users
A troubling trend in Android malware is the use of botnets, which are networks of compromised smartphones used to distribute spam and malicious code. These zombie networks enable malware creators to spread their apps in far greater...
With Nokia, Microsoft ready to raise stakes on mobile security
With the $7.2 billion agreement to buy Nokia's mobile phone business, Microsoft is gathering what it needs to build an enterprise-class mobile platform that surpasses rivals Apple and Samsung in security and integration with...
Apple patent demonstrates risks in innovation
Smartphones can be an oppressive government's nightmare. Brutal police crackdowns on protests against injustice can be recorded with the pocket-size device and broadcast worldwide.
On the flip side, a smartphone can be used to...
16 smartphone AV products that get a thumbs up
Reports showing double-digit growth in the number of Android malware are easy to find. Unbiased research explaining options for protecting personal data is harder to come by. Security software tester AV-Comparatives is tackling the...
Why Apple customers should worry about security
Every report on mobile threats that I've read adds new eye-popping numbers on the growth of malware aimed at Google's Android platform. But often overshadowed in the security doom and gloom over the most popular smartphone platform...
Cybercrooks find ad networks and malware a profitable combo
Signing up with an ad network is often the most profitable option for developers of free mobile apps, particularly games. By agreeing to open up a backdoor, developers get a portion of the revenue from advertising shown to the...
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