Posted by Mark Brousseau
The majority of large and medium businesses are failing to adequately protect themselves against the growing threat of mobile voice call interception; leaving them vulnerable to loss of sensitive and confidential corporate information. That's according to a new survey by ABI Research on behalf of Cellcrypt.
Businesses clearly recognize the threat of cell phone interception: three-quarters of the surveyed corporations have a security policy covering cell phone calling and four out of five IT professionals surveyed believe that cell phones are equally or more vulnerable to interception than email.
Yet, the research shows that while mobile phones and email are both used routinely to communicate confidential information – with 79 percent of organizations that discuss sensitive or confidential information over mobile doing so at least weekly and 51 percent daily – only 18 percent have explicit mobile voice call security solutions in place.
Research has shown that data loss can have a major impact on market capitalization, reducing it by as much as 5-10 percent, as well as resulting in lawsuits for senior executives, severely damaging their reputation.
The growing problem was highlighted in August, when German hackers announced a project to create a code table that cracks the encryption of GSM mobile calls, used in 80 percent of the world’s cell phone calls. This codebook is planned to be freely available within the next 6 months, and significantly lowers the bar for everyday hackers to crack GSM calls using only a high-end laptop.
One alarming fact emerging from the survey was that 55 percent of respondents in IT roles thought that their organisation had implemented mobile voice call encryption solutions but on further investigation only 18% had actually done so.
“Effective email security has become routine but our research shows most businesses do not apply anything like the same level of robust security to cell phone calls. Companies that do not respond are exposing themselves to attack,” said Stan Schatt Vice President and Practice Director, Healthcare and Security, ABI Research.
“Equally concerning is that a significant number of people who identified themselves as being responsible for cell phone voice call security incorrectly believe the organisations’ mobile calls have been protected when they have not. This perception that they are protected when in reality they are not suggests a serious hole in the information security of many businesses. It is important that companies take urgent steps to review their measures for countering this growing corporate risk area,” Schatt continued.
“In light of this summer’s news that a GSM cracking codebook will be made widely and freely available very soon – possibly before the New Year – and sub-$1000 interception equipment being available soon after, this lack of security is particularly worrying,” says Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Cellcrypt.
“Businesses must plan now for the eventuality that their mobile voice calls will come under increasing attack within the next 6 months. A ‘policy of hope’ towards mobile phone security is not adequate, voice is another data service and should be afforded the same security considerations as email and other corporate communications,” continued Bransfield-Garth.
Security of mobile voice calls is not limited to interception of radio waves between a cell phone and a base station mast: interception risks occur at various segments along a call path which may involve multiple network operators in a variety of countries each having a different levels of security measures and risks.
Among the key findings of the survey:
... 75 percent of the businesses surveyed discuss sensitive or confidential information via cell phones and 81 percent do so via email
... Of that 75 percent, 79 percent of businesses do so at least weekly, 51 percent do so daily
... Of the businesses sampled, 82 percent have a high level of concern about the security of email and 69 percent about cell phone security
... 41 percent of the individuals surveyed think mobile phones are more vulnerable to interception than email and 39% think they are equally as vulnerable to interception as email
... 74 percent of businesses discuss financially sensitive information on cell phones and of those 77 percent believe that if this were intercepted it would have a major impact
... 55 percent of respondents thought that their organisation had implemented mobile voice call encryption solutions but on further investigation only 18 percent had actually done so
What do you think?
Showing posts with label mobile commerce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobile commerce. Show all posts
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Mobility Brings ... Hope?
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told attendees at the International Consumer Electronics Show that the world's developing economies are places of increasing opportunity and upward mobility, where wealth is being created at an incredible rate and business opportunities abound - in part due to the spread of mobile communications.
"Mobile communications have played a big role in bringing hope and higher living standards to literally billions of people," Kallasvuo said during a keynote speech. "The trend promises to accelerate in the coming decade, as the power and capabilities of smartphones spread across the globe."
Kallasvuo discussed how innovators, particularly software developers, can join Nokia in its efforts to be a force for good by helping to accelerate development in these growth markets. He announced the $1 million Nokia Growth Economy Venture Challenge - a $1 million investment from Nokia to encourage innovators and developers to come up with innovate ways to help people and promote upward mobility around the world.
"We've seen what the tech community can do when it focuses on problems that are also opportunities," Kallasvuo said. "We want to channel that energy toward improving lives in the developing world."
Kallasvuo noted that there are about 4.6 billion mobile subscriptions among the planet's 6.8 billion people today. "For the majority of the world's people, their first and only access to the Internet will be through a mobile device - not a PC. And this access is spreading very, very fast."
"In China, every month more than 7 million people gain access to the Internet for the first time, and mostly on mobile devices," he said. "This trend shows no signs of slowing. The mobile device has become a necessity for upward mobility."
Kallasvuo spoke of the importance of understanding every market in which a company does business.
"Business people often tend to lump all of the growing countries outside the West into one category. They call them 'developing countries,' 'emerging countries' or 'emerging markets.' Each of these markets is uniquely different and complex. A one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't work."
Kallasvuo shared the CES stage with Jan Chipchase, whom he described as the "Indiana Jones of Nokia." Chipchase travels the far corners of the world to help Nokia understand how people live and how mobile phones might help them to live better.
"People around the world have shown us that adversity leads to real innovation," said Chipchase. "People in some of the world's most remote and poorest countries have inspired us and amazed us. They know what they need and they find ways to make it happen."
Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told attendees at the International Consumer Electronics Show that the world's developing economies are places of increasing opportunity and upward mobility, where wealth is being created at an incredible rate and business opportunities abound - in part due to the spread of mobile communications.
"Mobile communications have played a big role in bringing hope and higher living standards to literally billions of people," Kallasvuo said during a keynote speech. "The trend promises to accelerate in the coming decade, as the power and capabilities of smartphones spread across the globe."
Kallasvuo discussed how innovators, particularly software developers, can join Nokia in its efforts to be a force for good by helping to accelerate development in these growth markets. He announced the $1 million Nokia Growth Economy Venture Challenge - a $1 million investment from Nokia to encourage innovators and developers to come up with innovate ways to help people and promote upward mobility around the world.
"We've seen what the tech community can do when it focuses on problems that are also opportunities," Kallasvuo said. "We want to channel that energy toward improving lives in the developing world."
Kallasvuo noted that there are about 4.6 billion mobile subscriptions among the planet's 6.8 billion people today. "For the majority of the world's people, their first and only access to the Internet will be through a mobile device - not a PC. And this access is spreading very, very fast."
"In China, every month more than 7 million people gain access to the Internet for the first time, and mostly on mobile devices," he said. "This trend shows no signs of slowing. The mobile device has become a necessity for upward mobility."
Kallasvuo spoke of the importance of understanding every market in which a company does business.
"Business people often tend to lump all of the growing countries outside the West into one category. They call them 'developing countries,' 'emerging countries' or 'emerging markets.' Each of these markets is uniquely different and complex. A one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't work."
Kallasvuo shared the CES stage with Jan Chipchase, whom he described as the "Indiana Jones of Nokia." Chipchase travels the far corners of the world to help Nokia understand how people live and how mobile phones might help them to live better.
"People around the world have shown us that adversity leads to real innovation," said Chipchase. "People in some of the world's most remote and poorest countries have inspired us and amazed us. They know what they need and they find ways to make it happen."
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Key Criteria for Mobile Solutions
By Mark Brousseau
A new white paper from Fiserv, Inc. says there are 10 key criteria for selecting a mobile financial services solution:
A new white paper from Fiserv, Inc. says there are 10 key criteria for selecting a mobile financial services solution:
- Flexible enrollment
- Ability to deliver banking services via SMS, WAP and downloadable applications from one provider
- Consolidated enterprise platform
- Adaptable and scalable solution
- Extended functionality
- Mobilizing and streamlining business processes
- Proven premium services
- An integrated platform that lowers the total cost of ownership and interfaces with core banking, online banking and electronic billing and payment systems
- Bank-centric
- Multiple deployment options
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Smartphones and Mobile Banking
By Mark Brousseau
Smartphones will have a tremendous impact on mobile banking, Alain DeSouza, senior manager, Market Development, Solutions Marketing, at Blackberry, told attendees at the Third Annual Mobile Commerce Summit at The M Resort in Las Vegas yesterday.
DeSouza noted that, depending on the analyst numbers you believe, smartphones represent 20 to 26 percent of the mobile phones in the United States, and 12 to 14 percent of the mobile phones globally. When you consider that 4 billion people worldwide have mobile phones (with 1.3 billion mobile phones purchased annually) there is a lot of opportunity for smartphone mobile banking applications.
“Mobile banking will be one of the top seven applications people will have,” DeSouza said. He predicts the mass market adoption of mobile banking applications and that more companies will leverage mobile applications in general as a means of entering and exploiting new demographic segments.
And while iPhone has been getting a lot of the smartphone buzz, “the gorilla in the smartphone industry globally is Nokia, even though Blackberry leads the U.S. market,” DeSouza said.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Smartphones will have a tremendous impact on mobile banking, Alain DeSouza, senior manager, Market Development, Solutions Marketing, at Blackberry, told attendees at the Third Annual Mobile Commerce Summit at The M Resort in Las Vegas yesterday.
DeSouza noted that, depending on the analyst numbers you believe, smartphones represent 20 to 26 percent of the mobile phones in the United States, and 12 to 14 percent of the mobile phones globally. When you consider that 4 billion people worldwide have mobile phones (with 1.3 billion mobile phones purchased annually) there is a lot of opportunity for smartphone mobile banking applications.
“Mobile banking will be one of the top seven applications people will have,” DeSouza said. He predicts the mass market adoption of mobile banking applications and that more companies will leverage mobile applications in general as a means of entering and exploiting new demographic segments.
And while iPhone has been getting a lot of the smartphone buzz, “the gorilla in the smartphone industry globally is Nokia, even though Blackberry leads the U.S. market,” DeSouza said.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Mobile Commerce Trends
By Mark Brousseau
Some interesting facts from the pre-conference workshop at the Third Annual Mobile Commerce Summit at the M Resort Casino & Spa in Las Vegas on Wednesday:
… Banks that think they are going to fund their mobile initiatives through advertising had better think again, according to Bob Gilbreath, chief marketing strategist, Bridge Worldwide, an interactive and relationship marketing agency. “Mobile ad interruption will not be tolerated,” Gilbreath said, noting that 72 percent of Americans have registered on the Federal Do Not Call list. What’s more, service providers fear losing $50 per month customers in exchange for pennies per ad unit, he said.
… Smartphone users spend less than 5 minutes online per session, Gilbreath said.
… People who write down how they will use a new product are 50 percent more like to use it, according to a study by Proctor and Gamble.
… Young consumers are spending less time in traditional “online” environments, Gilbreath said.
… The Berg Institute says there were 3.1 million mobile banking households in the United States last year – up from 400,000 households in 2007. The Berg Institute estimates there will be 7 million mobile banking households by the end of 2009.
… 50 percent of all calls to bank customer service centers are from mobile phones, and will rise to 70 percent in 2010, according to Celent. Many calls are simple balance requests, Celent notes.
… As of January, 2009, Bank of America had 1.9 million mobile banking users – up from 1 million users in June, 2008. On peak days, Bank of America has 100,000 mobile banking users.
… Only 40 percent of a retail bank’s customers are profitable, finds the Council on Financial Competition.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Some interesting facts from the pre-conference workshop at the Third Annual Mobile Commerce Summit at the M Resort Casino & Spa in Las Vegas on Wednesday:
… Banks that think they are going to fund their mobile initiatives through advertising had better think again, according to Bob Gilbreath, chief marketing strategist, Bridge Worldwide, an interactive and relationship marketing agency. “Mobile ad interruption will not be tolerated,” Gilbreath said, noting that 72 percent of Americans have registered on the Federal Do Not Call list. What’s more, service providers fear losing $50 per month customers in exchange for pennies per ad unit, he said.
… Smartphone users spend less than 5 minutes online per session, Gilbreath said.
… People who write down how they will use a new product are 50 percent more like to use it, according to a study by Proctor and Gamble.
… Young consumers are spending less time in traditional “online” environments, Gilbreath said.
… The Berg Institute says there were 3.1 million mobile banking households in the United States last year – up from 400,000 households in 2007. The Berg Institute estimates there will be 7 million mobile banking households by the end of 2009.
… 50 percent of all calls to bank customer service centers are from mobile phones, and will rise to 70 percent in 2010, according to Celent. Many calls are simple balance requests, Celent notes.
… As of January, 2009, Bank of America had 1.9 million mobile banking users – up from 1 million users in June, 2008. On peak days, Bank of America has 100,000 mobile banking users.
… Only 40 percent of a retail bank’s customers are profitable, finds the Council on Financial Competition.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Phones As Credit Cards?
Posted by Mark Brousseau
An interesting article from the New York Times on using phones as credit cards.
"Phones as Credit Cards? Americans Must Wait"
By Berlin, Leslie
New York Times (01/25/09) P. 4
Cell phone-based payment transactions are widely used in Japan, but the technology's adoption in the United States faces a number of hurdles. The various companies playing a role in the technology's rollout have yet to define standards and agree on a revenue-sharing model.
Also required is a mediator that both the financial institutions and the carriers can trust to activate the virtual credit cards inside the handhelds.
For retailers, the adoption of mobile-phone payments means a faster checkout process, while credit card companies would gain a new tool for attracting and retaining customers as well as save money otherwise spent mailing cards.
Equipping cell phones with virtual credit cards is a source of worry for some, given the propensity for phones to get lost or stolen. However, MasterCard Worldwide's Simon Pugh says one solution is for the consumer to call the bank to report the phone's loss and disable the account.
University of Massachusetts professor Kevin Fu is less concerned about the risk of account fraud from mobile payments than he is about privacy infringement. However, he is optimistic that in time virtual credit cards "will become one of the best ways to do mobile payments."
An interesting article from the New York Times on using phones as credit cards.
"Phones as Credit Cards? Americans Must Wait"
By Berlin, Leslie
New York Times (01/25/09) P. 4
Cell phone-based payment transactions are widely used in Japan, but the technology's adoption in the United States faces a number of hurdles. The various companies playing a role in the technology's rollout have yet to define standards and agree on a revenue-sharing model.
Also required is a mediator that both the financial institutions and the carriers can trust to activate the virtual credit cards inside the handhelds.
For retailers, the adoption of mobile-phone payments means a faster checkout process, while credit card companies would gain a new tool for attracting and retaining customers as well as save money otherwise spent mailing cards.
Equipping cell phones with virtual credit cards is a source of worry for some, given the propensity for phones to get lost or stolen. However, MasterCard Worldwide's Simon Pugh says one solution is for the consumer to call the bank to report the phone's loss and disable the account.
University of Massachusetts professor Kevin Fu is less concerned about the risk of account fraud from mobile payments than he is about privacy infringement. However, he is optimistic that in time virtual credit cards "will become one of the best ways to do mobile payments."
Saturday, December 27, 2008
What's Hot in e-Commerce
By Mark Brousseau
Will mobile commerce take over in 2009? Will consumers continue to browse online and shop offline … or will it be the other way around? What new uses for social networking sites will retailers find in the New Year? Guidance offers its thoughts on the hottest new trends for online retail and technology.
... Mobile will NOT be the killer app for eCommerce -- at least not as a shopping channel in and of itself. But it will become hugely useful as a companion to both online and offline shopping.
... Commerce will become even more collaborative. Social commerce enables interaction among shoppers in a variety of forms, while collaborative commerce takes it to the next level by enabling “the group” to purchase together, or have a say in product development.
... Corporations will “become” social. Larger companies will bring social networking in-house.
What do you think? Post your comment below.
Will mobile commerce take over in 2009? Will consumers continue to browse online and shop offline … or will it be the other way around? What new uses for social networking sites will retailers find in the New Year? Guidance offers its thoughts on the hottest new trends for online retail and technology.
... Mobile will NOT be the killer app for eCommerce -- at least not as a shopping channel in and of itself. But it will become hugely useful as a companion to both online and offline shopping.
... Commerce will become even more collaborative. Social commerce enables interaction among shoppers in a variety of forms, while collaborative commerce takes it to the next level by enabling “the group” to purchase together, or have a say in product development.
... Corporations will “become” social. Larger companies will bring social networking in-house.
What do you think? Post your comment below.
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