Cyber Security

Unit – 2

CYBER CRIME : Mobile and Wireless Devices-Introduction, Proliferation of Mobile and

Wireless Devices, Trends in Mobility, Credit Card Frauds in Mobile and Wireless Computing
Era, Security Challenges Posed by Mobile Devices, Registry Settings for Mobile Devices,
Authentication Service Security, Attacks on Mobile/Cell Phones, Mobile Devices: Security
Implications for organizations, Organizational Measures for Handling Mobile, Organizational
Security Policies and Measures in Mobile Computing Era.

Mobile and Wireless Devices-Introduction :-

INTRODUCTION In this modern era, the rising importance of electronic gadgets (i.e., mobile
hand-held devices) – which became an integral part of business, providing connectivity with the
Internet outside the office – brings many challenges to secure these devices from being a victim
of cybercrime. In the recent years, the use of laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and
mobile phones has grown from limited user communities to widespread desktop replacement and
broad deployment. By the end of 2008 around 1.5 billion individuals around the world had the
Internet access. In November 2007, mobile phone users were numbered 3.3 billion, with a
growing proportion of those mobile devices enabled for the Internet access. The complexity of
managing these devices outside the walls of the office is something that the information
technology (IT) departments in the organizations need to address. Remote connection has
extended from fixed location dial-in to wireless-on-the-move, and smart handheld devices such
as PDAs have become networked, converging with mobile phones. Furthermore, the maturation
of the PDA and advancements in cellular phone technology have converged into a new category
of mobile phone device: the Smartphone. Smart phones combine the best aspects of mobile and
wireless technologies and blend them into a useful business tool. Although IT departments of
organizations as yet are not swapping employees’ company-provided PDAs (as the case may be)
for the Smart phones, many users may bring these devices from home and use them in the office.
Thus, the larger and more diverse community of mobile users and their devices increase the
demands on the IT function to secure the device, data and connection to the network, keeping
control of the corporate assets, while at the same time supporting mobile 2 user productivity.
Clearly, these technological developments present a new set of security challenges to the global
organizations.
PROLIFERATION OF MOBILE AND WIRELESS DEVICES :-

Today, incredible advances are being made for mobile devices. The trend is for smaller devices
and more processing power. A few years ago, the choice was between a wireless phone and a
simple PDA. Now the buyers have a choice between high-end PDAs with integrated wireless
modems and small phones with wireless Web-browsing capabilities.

A simple hand-held mobile device provides enough computing power to run small applications,
play games and music, and make voice calls. As the term “mobile device” includes many
products. We first provide a clear distinction among the key terms: mobile computing, wireless
computing and hand-held devices. Below figure helps to understand how these terms are related

Mobile computing is “taking a computer and all necessary files and software out into the field.”
Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since 1990s. They are as follows:

1. Portable Computer: It is a general-purpose computer that can be easily moved from one
place to another, but cannot be used while in transit, usually because it requires some “setting-
up” and an AC power source.

2. Tablet PC: It lacks a keyboard, is shaped like a slate or a paper notebook and has features of a
touch screen with a stylus and handwriting recognition software. Tablets may not be best suited
for 3 applications requiring a physical keyboard for typing, but are otherwise capable of carrying
out most tasks that an ordinary laptop would be able to perform.
3. Internet Tablet: It is the Internet appliance in tablet form. Unlike a Tablet PC, the Internet
tablet does not have much computing power and its applications suite is limited. Also it cannot
replace a general purpose computer. The Internet tablets typically feature an MP3 and video
player, a Web browser, a chat application and a picture viewer.

4. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA): It is a small, usually pocket-sized, computer with limited
functionality. It is intended to supplement and synchronize with a desktop computer, giving
access to contacts, address book, notes, E-Mail and other features.

5. Ultramobile PC: It is a full-featured, PDA-sized computer running a general-purpose

operating system (OS).

6. Smartphone: It is a PDA with integrated cell phone functionality. Current Smartphones have
a wide range of features and installable applications.

7. Carputer: It is a computing device installed in an automobile. It operates as a wireless

computer, sound system, global positioning system (GPS) and DVD player. It also contains word
processing software and is Bluetooth compatible.

8. Fly Fusion Pentop Computer: It is a computing device with the size and shape of a pen. It
functions as a writing utensil, MP3 player, language translator, digital storage device and
calculator.

Wireless refers to the method of transferring information between a computing device (such as a
PDA) and a data source (such as an agency database server) without a physical connection. Not
all wireless communication technologies are mobile. For example, lasers are used in wireless
data transfer between buildings, but cannot be used in mobile communications at this time.
Mobile simply describes a computing device that is not restricted to a desktop that is not
tethered. As more personal devices find their way into the enterprise, corporations are realizing
cyber security threats that come along with the benefits achieved with mobile solutions.

Mobile computing does not necessarily require wireless communication. In fact, it may not
require communication among devices at all. Thus, while “wireless” is a subset of “mobile,” in
most cases, an application can be mobile without being wireless. Smart hand-helds are defined as
hand-held or pocket-sized devices that connect to a wireless or cellular network, and can have
software installed on them; this includes networked PDAs and Smart phones.

TRENDS IN MOBILITY

Mobile computing is moving into a new era, third generation (3G), which promises greater
variety in applications and have highly improved usability as well as speedier networking.
“iPhone” from Apple and Google-led “Android” phones are the best examples of this trend and
there are plenty of other developments that point in this direction. This smart mobile technology
is rapidly gaining popularity and the attackers (hackers and crackers) are among its biggest fans.
It is worth noting the trends in mobile computing; this will help readers to realize the seriousness
of cybersecurity issues in the mobile computing domain.

Popular types of attacks against 3G mobile networks are as follows:

1. Malwares, Viruses and Worms: Although many users are still in the transient process of
switching from 2G, 2.5G to 3G, it is a growing need to educate the community people and
provide awareness of such threats that exist while using mobile devices. Here are few examples
of malware(s) specific to mobile devices:

a. Skull Trojan: It targets Series 60 phones equipped with the Symbian mobile OS.

b. Cabir Worm: It is the first dedicated mobile-phone worm; infects phones running on
Symbian OS and scans other mobile devices to send a copy of itself to the first vulnerable phone
it finds through Bluetooth Wireless technology. The worst thing about this worm is that the
source code for the Cabir-H and Cabir-I viruses is available online.
 c. Mosquito Trojan: It affects the Series 60 Smart phones and is a cracked version of
“Mosquitos” mobile phone game.

d. Brador Trojan: It affects the Windows CE OS by creating a svchost.exe file in the

Windows start-up folder which allows full control of the device. This executable file is
conductive to traditional worm propagation vector such as E-Mail file attachments (refer to
Appendix C).

e. Lasco Worm: It was released first in 2005 to target PDAs and mobile phones running the
Symbian OS. Lasco is based on Cabir’s source code and replicates over Bluetooth connection.

2. Denial-of-Service (DoS): The main objective behind this attack is to make the system
unavailable to the intended users. Virus attacks can be used to damage the system to make the
system unavailable.

3. Overbilling Attack: Overbilling involves an attacker hijacking a subscriber’s IP address and

then using it (i.e., the connection) to initiate downloads that are not “Free downloads” or simply
use it for his/her own purposes. In either case, the legitimate user is charged for the activity
which the user did not conduct.

4. Spoofed Policy Development Process (PDP): These types of attacks exploit the
vulnerabilities in the GTP [General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol].

5. Signaling-level Attacks: The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol used in
IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) networks to provide Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
services. There are several vulnerabilities with SIP-based VoIP systems.

CREDIT CARD FRAUDS IN MOBILE AND WIRELESS COMPUTING ERA

These are new trends in cybercrime that are coming up with mobile computing – mobile
commerce (MCommerce) and mobile banking (M-Banking). Credit card frauds are now
becoming commonplace given the ever- increasing power and the ever-reducing prices of the
mobile hand-held devices, factors that result in easy availability of these gadgets to almost
anyone. Mobile credit card transactions are now very common; new technologies combine low-
cost mobile phone technologies with the capabilities of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. Today
belongs to “mobile computing,” that is, anywhere anytime computing.
 Figure: Online Environment for Credit Card Transactions

Credit card companies, normally, do a good job of helping consumers resolve identity (ID) theft
problems once they occur. But they could reduce ID fraud even more if they give consumers
better tools to monitor their accounts and limit high-risk transactions.

Tips to Prevent Credit Card Frauds:

Do’s

1. Put your signature on the card immediately upon its receipt.

2. Make the photocopy of both the sides of your card and preserve it at a safe place to remember
the card number, expiration date in case of loss of card.

3. Change the default Personal Identification Number (PIN) received from the bank before doing
any transaction.

4. Always carry the details about contact numbers of your bank in case of loss of your card.

5. Carry your cards in a separate pouch/card holder than your wallet.

6. Keep an eye on your card during the transaction, and ensure to get it back immediately.
7. Preserve all the receipts to compare with credit card invoice.

8. Reconcile your monthly invoice/statement with your receipts.

9. Report immediately any discrepancy observed in the monthly invoice/statement.

10. Destroy all the receipts after reconciling it with the monthly invoice/statement.

11. Inform your bank in advance, about any change in your contact details such as home address,
cell phone number and E-Mail address.

12. Ensure the legitimacy of the website before providing any of your card details.

13. Report the loss of the card immediately in your bank and at the police station, if necessary.

Dont’s

1. Store your card number and PINs in your cell.

2. Lend your cards to anyone.

3. Leave cards or transaction receipts lying around.

4. Sign a blank receipt (if the transaction details are not legible, ask for another receipt to ensure
the amount instead of trusting the seller).

5. Write your card number/PIN on a postcard or the outside of an envelope.

6. Give out immediately your account number over the phone (unless you are calling to a
company/ to your bank).

7. Destroy credit card receipts by simply dropping into garbage box/dustbin.

There is a system available from an Australian company “Alacrity” called Closed-Loop

Environment for Wireless (CLEW). Below figure shows the flow of events
1. Merchant sends a transaction to bank;

2. The bank transmits the request to the authorized cardholder [not short message service
(SMS)];

3. The cardholder approves or rejects (password protected);

4. The bank/merchant is notified;

5. The credit card transaction is completed.

Types and Techniques of Credit Card Frauds:

1. Traditional Techniques

a. ID theft: Where an individual pretends to be someone else

b. Financial fraud: Where an individual gives false information about his or her financial status
to acquire credit.

2. Modern Techniques

a. Triangulation:

• The criminal offers the goods with heavy discounted rates through a website designed and
hosted by him, which appears to be legitimate merchandise website.
• The goods are shipped to the customer and the transaction gets completed.

• The criminal keeps on purchasing other goods using fraudulent credit card details of different

b. Credit card generators: It is another modern technique – computer emulation software – that
creates valid credit card numbers and expiry dates. The criminals highly rely on these generators
to create valid credit cards. These are available for free download on the Internet.

SECURITY CHALLENGES POSED BY MOBILE DEVICES

Mobility brings two main challenges to cyber security:

1. on the hand-held devices, information is being taken outside the physically controlled
environment and

2. remote access back to the protected environment is being granted Perceptions of the
organizations to these cybersecurity challenges are important in devising appropriate security
operating procedure. As the number of mobile device users increases, two challenges are
presented:

1. at the device level called “micro challenges” and

2. at the organizational level called “macro challenges”

Some well-known technical challenges in mobile security are:

• Managing the registry settings and configurations, authentication service security

• Cryptography security

• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) security

• Remote Access Server (RAS) security

• Media player control security

• Networking application program interface (API) security, etc.

REGISTRY SETTINGS FOR MOBILE DEVICES:-

Let us understand the issue of registry settings on mobile devices through an example:

• Microsoft ActiveSync is meant for synchronization with Windows-powered personal

computers (PCs) and Microsoft Outlook.

• ActiveSync acts as the gateway between Windows-powered PC and Windows mobile-powered

device, enabling the transfer of applications such as Outlook information, Microsoft Office
documents, pictures, music, videos and applications from a user’s desktop to his/her device.

• In addition to synchronizing with a PC, ActiveSync can synchronize directly with the Microsoft
exchange server so that the users can keep their E-Mails, calendar, notes and contacts updated
wirelessly when they are away from their PCs.

• In this context, registry setting becomes an important issue given the ease with which various
applications allow a free flow of information.

AUTHENTICATION SERVICE SECURITY :-

There are two components of security in mobile computing: security of devices and security in
networks. A secure network access involves mutual authentication between the device and the
base stations or Web servers.

This is to ensure that only authenticated devices can be connected to the network for obtaining
the requested services. No Malicious Code can impersonate (imitate) the service provider to trick
the device into doing something it does not mean to. Thus, the networks also play a crucial role
in security of mobile devices. Some eminent kinds of attacks to which mobile devices are
subjected to are: push attacks, pull attacks and crash attacks.
Authentication services security is important given the typical attacks on mobile devices through
wireless networks: DoS attacks, traffic analysis, eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle attacks and
session hijacking.

1. Cryptographic Security for Mobile Devices:

1. Cryptographic Security for Mobile Devices:

• Cryptographically Generated Addresses (CGA) is Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) that

addresses up to 64 address bits that are generated by hashing owner’s public-key address.

• The address the owner uses is the corresponding private key to assert address ownership and to
sign messages sent from the address without a public-key infrastructure (PKI) or other security
infrastructure.

• Deployment of PKI provides many benefits for users to secure their financial transactions
initiated from mobile devices.

• CGA-based authentication can be used to protect IP-layer signaling protocols including

neighbor discovery (as in context-aware mobile computing applications) and mobility protocols.

• It can also be used for key exchange in opportunistic Internet Protocol Security (IPSec). Palms
(devices that can be held in one’s palm) are one of the most common hand-held devices used in
mobile computing.

• Cryptographic security controls are deployed on these devices.

• For example, the Cryptographic Provider Manager (CPM) in Palm OS5 is a system-wide suite
of cryptographic services for securing data and resources on a palm-powered device.

• The CPM extends encryption services to any application written to take advantage of these
capabilities, allowing the encryption of only selected data or of all data and resources on the
device.

2. LDAP Security for Hand-held Mobile Computing Devices:

• LDAP is a software protocol for enabling anyone to locate individuals, organizations and other
resources such as files and devices on the network (i.e., on the public Internet or on the
organizations’s Intranet).

• In a network, a directory tells you where an entity is located in the network.

• LDAP is a light weight (smaller Attacker Launches blended attack over rogue ad hoc network
(802.11, bluetooth, infrared) amount of code) version of Directory Access Protocol (DAP)
because it does not include security features in its initial version.

3. RAS Security for Mobile Devices:

RAS (Remote Access Server) is an important consideration for protecting the business-sensitive
data that may reside on the employees’ mobile devices. In terms of cybersecurity, mobile devices
are sensitive. Below Figure: organization’s sensitive data can happen through mobile hand-held
devices carried by employees. In addition to being vulnerable to unauthorized access on their
own, mobile devices also provide a route into the systems with which they connect. By using a
mobile device to appear as a registered user (impersonating or masquerading) to these systems, a
would-be cracker is then able to steal data or compromise corporate systems in other ways.
Another threat comes from the practice of port scanning:

• First, attackers use a domain name system (DNS) server to locate the IP address of a connected
computer. A domain is a collection of sites that are related in some sense.

• Second, they scan the ports on this known IP address, working their way through its
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stack to see what
communication ports are unprotected by firewalls.

• For instance, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transmissions are typically assigned to port 21. If
this port is left unprotected, it can be misused by the attackers.

• Protecting against port scanning requires software that can trap unauthorized incoming data
packets and prevent a mobile device from revealing its existence and ID.

• A personal firewall on a pocket PC or Smartphone device can be an effective protective screen

against this form of attack for the users connecting through a direct Internet or RAS connection.

4. Media Player Control Security:

Various leading software development organizations have been warning the users about the
potential security attacks on their mobile devices through the “music gateways.” There are many
examples to show how a media player can turn out to be a source of threat to information held on
mobile devices. For example, in the year 2002, Microsoft Corporation warned about this.

• According to this news item, Microsoft had warned people that a series of flaws in its Windows
Media Player could allow a malicious hacker to hijack people’s computer systems and perform a
variety of actions.

• According to this warning from Microsoft, in the most severe exploit of a flaw, a hacker could
take over a computer system and perform any task the computer’s owner is allowed to do, such
as opening files or accessing certain parts of a network.

5. Networking API Security for Mobile Computing Applications:

• With the advent of electronic commerce (E-Commerce) and its further off -shoot into M-
Commerce, online payments are becoming a common phenomenon with the payment gateways
accessed remotely and possibly wirelessly.

• Furthermore, with the advent of Web services and their use in mobile computing applications,
the API becomes an important consideration.

• Already, there are organizations announcing the development of various APIs to enable
software and hardware developers to write single applications
 • Most of these developments are targeted specifically at securing a range of embedded and
consumer products, including those running OSs such as Linux, Symbian, Microsoft Windows
CE and Microsoft Windows Mobile (the last three are the most commonly used OSs for mobile
devices).

• Technological developments such as these provide the ability to significantly improve cyber
security of a wide range of consumer as well as mobile devices. Providing a common software
framework, APIs will become an important enabler of new and higher value services.

ATTACKS ON MOBILE/CELL PHONES :-

1. Mobile Phone Theft:

Mobile phones have become an integral part of everbody’s life and the mobile phone has
transformed from being a luxury to a bare necessity. Theft of mobile phones has risen
dramatically over the past few years. Since huge section of working population in India use
public transport, major locations where theft occurs are bus stops, railway stations and traffic
signals. Many Insurance Companies have stopped offering Mobile Theft Insurance due to a large
number of false claims. When anyone looses his/her mobile phone, more than anything “Contact
List” and “Personally Identifiable Information (PII)”, that really matter, are lost. One might have
just thought that his/her cell phone is much safer than a PC that is very often attacked by viruses;
however, criminals made this thought as false statement. After PC, the criminals’ (i.e.,
attackers’) new playground has been cell phones, reason being the increasing usage of cell
phones and availability of Internet using cell phones. Another reason is increasing demand for
Wi-Fi zones in the metropolitans and extensive usage of cell phones in the youths with lack of
awareness/knowledge about the vulnerabilities of the technology.

The following factors contribute for outbreaks on mobile devices:

1. Enough target terminals: The first Palm OD virus was seen after the number of Palm OS
devices reached 15million. The 1st instance of a mobile virus was observed during June 2004
when it was discovered that an organization “Ojam” had engineered an antipiracy Trojan virus in
older versions of their mobile phone game known as Mosquito. This virus sent SMS text
messages to the organization without the user’s knowledge.

2. Enough functionality: Mobile devices are increasingly being equipped with office
functionality and already carry critical data & applications, which are often protected
insufficiently or not at all. The expanded functionality also increases the probability of malware.
3. Enough connectivity: Smartphones offer multiple communication options, such as SMS,
MMS, synchronization, Bluetooth, infrared (IR) and WLAN connections.

2. Mobile Viruses:

• A mobile virus is similar to a computer virus that targets mobile phone data or
applications/software installed in it.

• Virus attacks on mobile devices are no longer an exception or proof-of-concept nowadays.

• In total, 40 mobile virus families and more than 300(+) mobile viruses have been identified.

• First mobile virus was identified in 2004 and it was the beginning to understand that mobile
devices can act as vectors to enter the computer network.

• Mobile viruses get spread through two dominant communication protocols – Bluetooth and MMS.

• Bluetooth virus can easily spread within a distance of 10–30 m, through Bluetooth-activated phones

• MMS virus can send a copy of itself to all mobile users whose numbers are available in the
infected mobile phone’s address book.

Following are some tips to protect mobile from mobile malware attacks: 1. Download or accept programs
and content (including ring tones, games, video clips and photos) only from a trusted source.

2. If a mobile is equipped with Bluetooth, turn it OFF or set it to non-discoverable mode when it is not in
use and/or not required to use.

3. If a mobile is equipped with beam (i.e., IR), allow it to receive incoming beams, only from the trusted
source.

4. Download and install antivirus software for mobile devices.

3. Mishing:

Mishing is a combination of mobile and Phishing. Mishing attacks are attempted using mobile
phone technology.

• M-Commerce is fast becoming a part of everyday life. If you use your mobile phone for
purchasing goods/services and for banking, you could be more vulnerable to a Mishing scam.

• A typical Mishing attacker uses call termed as Vishing or message (SMS) known as Smishing.

• Attacker will pretend to be an employee from your bank or another organization and will claim
a need for your personal details.

• Attackers are very creative and they would try to convince you with different reasons why they
need this information from you.
4. Vishing:

Vishing is the criminal practice of using social engineering over the telephone system, most
often using features facilitated by VoIP, to gain access to personal and financial information
from the public for the purpose of financial reward. The term is a combination of V – Voice and
Phishing. Vishing is usually used to steal credit card numbers or other related data used in ID
theft schemes from individuals.

The most profitable uses of the information gained through a Vishing attack include:

• ID theft

• Purchasing luxury goods and services

• Transferring money/funds

• Monitoring the victims’ bank accounts

• Making applications for loans and credit cards

How Vishing Works:

The criminal can initiate a Vishing attack using a variety of methods, each of which depends
upon information gathered by a criminal and criminal’s will to reach a particular audience.

1. Internet E-Mail: It is also called Phishing mail.

2. Mobile Text Messaging: Text is being messaged in Mobile.

3. Voicemail: Here, Victim is forced to call on the provided phone number, once he/she listens
to voice mail.

4. Direct phone Call: Following are the steps detailing on how direct phone call works.

How to Protect from Vishing Attacks:

1. Be suspicious about all unknown callers.

2. Do not trust caller ID. It does not guarantee whether the call is really coming from that
number, that is, from the individual and/or company – caller ID Spoofing is easy.

3. Be aware and ask questions, in case someone is asking for your personal or financial
information.

4. Call them back. If someone is asking you for your personal or financial information, tell them
that you will call them back immediately to verify if the company is legitimate or not. In case
someone is calling from a bank and/or credit card company, call them back using a number
displayed on invoice and/or displayed on website.

5. Report incidents: Report Vishing calls to the nearest cyber police cell with the number and
name that appeared on the caller ID as well as the time of day and the information talked about
or heard in a recorded message.

5. Smishing:

Smishing is a criminal offense conducted by using social engineering techniques similar to

Phishing. The name is derived from “SMs phISHING”. SMS – Short Message Service – is the
text messages communication component dominantly used into mobile phones. SMS can be
abused by using different methods and techniques other than information gathering under
cybercrime.

Smishing uses cell phone text messages to deliver a lure message to get the victim to reveal
his/her PI. The popular technique to “hook” the victim is either provide a phone number to force
the victim to call or provide a website URL to force the victim to access the URL, wherein, the
victim gets connected with bogus website (i.e., duplicate but fake site created by the criminal)
and submits his/her PI. Smishing works in the similar pattern as Vishing.

How to Protect from Smishing Attacks:

1. Do not answer a text message that you have received asking for your PI. Even if the message
seems to be received from your best friend, do not respond, because he/she may not be the one
who has actually sent it.

2. Avoid calling any phone numbers, as mentioned in the received message, to cancel a
membership and/or confirming a transaction which you have not initiated but mentioned in the
message. Always call on the numbers displayed on the invoice and/or appearing in the bank
statements/passbook.

3. Never click on a hot link received through message on your Smartphone or PDA. Hot links
are links that you can click, which will take you directly to the Internet sites. Smishing messages
may have hot links, wherein you click on the link and download Spyware to your phone without
knowing. Once this software has been downloaded, criminals can easily steal any information
that is available on your cell phone and have access to everything that you do on your cell phone.

6. Hacking Bluetooth:

Bluetooth is an open wireless technology standard used for communication (i.e., exchanging
data) over short distances (i.e., using short length radio waves) between fixed and/or mobile
device. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication service/technology that uses the 2.4-
GHz frequency range for its transmission/communication. The older standard – Bluetooth 1.0
has a maximum transfer speed of 1 Mbps (megabit per second) compared with 3 Mbps by
Bluetooth 2.0. When Bluetooth is enabled on a device, it essentially broadcasts “I’m here, and
I’m able to connect” to any other Bluetooth-based device within range. This makes Bluetooth
use simple and straightforward, and it also makes easier to identify the target for attackers. The
attacker installs special software [Bluetooth hacking tools] on a laptop and then installs
Bluetooth antenna. Whenever an attacker moves around public places, the software installed on
laptop constantly scans the nearby surroundings of the hacker for active Bluetooth connections.
Once the software tool used by the attacker finds and connects to a vulnerable Bluetooth-enabled
cell phone, it can do things like download address book information, photos, calendars, SIM card
details, make long-distance phone calls using the hacked device, bug phone calls and much more
Mobile Devices: Security Implications for organizations :-

1. Managing Diversity and Proliferation of Hand-Held Devices:

Cybersecurity is always a primary concern to most organizations. Most organizations fail to see
the long-term significance of keeping track of who owns what kind of mobile devices.

Mobile devices of employees should be registered in corporate asset register irrespective of

whether or not the devices have been provided by the organization. In addition, close monitoring
of these devices is required in terms of their usage. When an employee leaves, it is important to
remove logical and physical access to organization networks. Thus, mobile devices that belong
to the company should be returned to the IT department and, at the very least, should be
deactivated and cleansed.

2. Unconventional/Stealth Storage Devices:

Compact disks (CDs) and Universal Serial Bus (USB) drives (also called zip drive, memory
sticks) used by employees are the key factors for cyber attacks. As the technology is advancing,
the devices continue to decrease in size and emerge in new shapes and sizes – storage devices
available nowadays are difficult to detect and have become a prime challenge for organizational
security. It is advisable to prohibit the employees in using these devices.

• Not only can viruses, worms and Trojans get into the organization network, but can also
destroy valuable data in the organization network.

• Organization has to have a policy in place to block these ports while issuing the asset to the
employee. • Employees can connect a USB/small digital camera/MP3 player to the USB port of
any unattended computer and will be able to download confidential data or upload harmful
viruses.

• As the malicious attack is launched from within the organization, firewalls and antivirus
software are not alerted.

• Using “Device Lock” software solution, one can have control over unauthorized access to plug
and play devices. The features of the software allows system administrator to:

• Monitor which users or groups can access USB Ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters, CD read-
only memories (CD-ROMs) and other removable devices.

• Control the access to devices depending on the time of the day and day of the week.

• Create the white list of USB devices which allows you to authorize only specific devices that
will not be locked regardless of any other settings.
• Set devices in read-only mode.

• Protect disks from accidental or intentional formatting.

3. Threats through Lost & Stolen Devices:

This is a new emerging issue for cybersecurity. Often mobile hand-held devices are lost while
people are on the move. Lost mobile devices are becoming even a larger security risk to
corporations. The cybersecurity threat under this scenario is scary; owing to a general lack of
security in mobile devices, it is often not the value of the hand-held device that is important but
rather the content that, if lost or stolen, can put a company at a serious risk of sabotage,
exploitation or damage to its professional integrity, as most of the times the mobile hand-held
devices are provided by the organization. Most of these lost devices have wireless access to a
corporate network and have potentially very little security, making them a weak link and a major
headache for security administrators.

4. Protecting Data on Lost Devices:

At an individual level, employees need to worry about the importance of data protection
especially when it resided on a mobile hand-held device. There are two reasons why
cybersecurity needs to address this issue

• Data that is persistently stored on the device

• Always running applications For protecting data that are stored on the device, there are two
precautions that individual can take to prevent disclosure of the data stored on a mobile device:

• Encrypting sensitive data

• Encrypting the entire file system A key point here is that the organizations should have a clear
policy on how to respond to the loss or theft of a device, whether it is data storage, a PDA or a
laptop. There should be a method for the device owner to quickly report the loss & device
owners should be aware of this method.

5. Educating the Laptop Users:

Often it so happens that corporate laptop users could be putting their company’s networks at risk
by downloading non-work-related software capable of spreading viruses and spyware. This is
because the software assets on laptops become more complex as more applications are used on
an increasingly sophisticated OS with diverse connectivity options. The perception plays much
role in terms of most people perceiving laptops as greater culprits compared with other
innocuous-looking mobile hand-held devices.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEASURES FOR HANDLING MOBILE DEVICES-RELATED
SECURITY ISSUES :-

Encrypting Organizational Databases:

Critical and sensitive data reside on databases and with the advances in technology, access to
these data is not impossible through hand-held devices. It is clear that to protect the
organization’s data loss, such databases need encryption. Two algorithms that are typically
used to implement strong encryption of database files:

• Rijndael (pronounced Rain-dahl or Rhine-doll), a block encryption algorithm, chosen as the

new Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for block ciphers by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST).

• The other algorithm used to implement strong encryption of database files is the Multi-
Dimensional Space Rotation (MDSR) algorithm developed by Casio. Strong encryption means
that it is much harder to break, but it also has a significant impact on performance. Database file
encryption technology, using either the AES (or) MDSR algorithms, makes the database
inoperable without the key (password). When using strong encryption, it is important not to store
the key on the mobile devices, which is equivalent to leaving a key in a locked door. However if
you lose the key, data is completely inaccessible. The key is case sensitive and must be entered
correctly to access the database. For greater security there is an option available that instructs the
database server to display a dialog box where the user can enter the encryption key. This option
is necessary because the encryption key should not be entered on the machine in clear text. To
protect the scenario of information attack/stealing through the mobile devices connecting to the
corporate databases, additional security measures are possible through enforcing a self-destruct
policy that is 23 controlled from the server. When a device that is identified or stolen connects to
the organization server, IT department can have the server send a package to destroy privileged
data on the device.

Including Mobile Devices in Security Strategy:

Organizational IT departments will have to take the accountability for cybersecurity threats that
come through inappropriate access to organizational data from mobile-device–user employees.
Encryption of corporate databases is not the end of everything. However, enterprises that do not
want to include mobile devices in their environments often use security as an excuse, saying they
fear the loss of sensitive data that could result from a PDA being stolen or an unsecured wireless
connection being used. There are technologies available to properly secure mobile devices,
which are enough for most organizations. Although mobile devices do pose unique challenges
from a cybersecurity perceptive, there are some genera steps that the users can take to address
them such as integrating security programs for mobile and wireless systems into the overall
security blue print. A few things that organization can use are:
• Implement strong asset management, virus checking, loss prevention and other controls for
mobile systems that will prohibit unauthorized access and the entry of corrupted data.

• Investigate alternatives that allow a secure access to the company information through a
firewall, such as mobile VPNs.

• Develop a system of more frequent and thorough security audits for mobile devices.

• Incorporate security awareness into your mobile training and support programs so that
everyone understands just how important an issue security is within a company’s overall IT
strategy.

• Notify the appropriate law-enforcement agency and change passwords. User accounts are
closely monitored for any unusual activity for a period of time.

ORGANIZATIONAL SECURITY POLICIES AND MEASURES IN MOBILE

COMPUTING ERA

Importance of Security Policies relating to Mobile Computing Devices:

• Growth of mobile devices used makes the cybersecurity issue harder than what we would tend
to think.

• People (especially, the youth) have grown so used to their mobiles that they are treating them
like wallets!

• For example, people are storing more types of confidential information on mobile computing
devices than their employers or they themselves know; they listen to music using their hand-held
devices

• One should think about not to keep credit card and bank account numbers, passwords,
confidential EMails and strategic information about organization & also other valuable
information that could impact stock values in the mobile devices.

• Imagine the business impact if an employee’s USB, pluggable drive or laptop was lost or
stolen, revealing the sensitive customer data such as credit reports, Social Security Numbers
(SSNs) & contact information.

• This not only the Public Relations (PR) disaster, but it could also violate laws & regulations.
 • When controls cannot be implemented to protect data in the event they are stolen, the simplest
solution is to prevent users from storing proprietary information on platforms deemed to be
insufficiently secure.

Operating Guidelines for Implementing Mobile Device Security Policies:

• By using the following steps we can reduce the risk when mobile device lost or stolen

• Determine whether the employees in the organization need to use mobile computing devices or
not.

• Implement additional security technologies like strong encryption, device passwords and
physical locks.

• Standardize the mobile computing devices and the associated security tools being used with
them.

• Develop a specific framework for using mobile computing devices.

• Maintain an inventory so that you know who is using what kinds of devices.

• Establish patching procedures for software on mobile devices.

• Label the devices and register them with a suitable service.

• Establish procedures to disable remote access for any mobile.

• Remove data from computing devices that are not in use • Provide education and awareness
training to personnel using mobile devices. Organizational Policies for the Use of Mobile Hand-
Held Devices: There are many ways to handle the matter of creating policy for mobile devices.

• One way is creating a distinct mobile computing policy.

• Another way is including such devices under existing policy. There are also approaches in
between, where mobile devices fall under both existing general policies and a new one. There
may not be a need for separate policies for wireless, LAN, WAN etc because a properly written
network policy can cover all connections to the company data, including mobiles & wireless.

LAPTOPS :-

Laptops, like other mobile devices, enhance the business functions. Their mobile access to
information anytime and anywhere, they also pose a large threat as they are portable. Wireless
capability in these devices has also raised cybersecurity concerns owing to the information being
transmitted over other, which makes it hard to detect. The thefts of laptops have always been a
major issue, according to the cybersecurity industry and insurance company statistics.
Cybercriminals are targeting laptops that are expensive, to enable them to fetch a quick profit in
the black market. Most laptops contain personal and corporate information that could be
sensitive. Such information can be misused if found by a malicious user. Physical Security
Countermeasures:

1. Cables and hardwired locks: The most cost-efficient and ideal solution to safeguard any
mobile device is securing with cables and locks, specially designed for laptops.

2. Laptop safes: Safes made of polycarbonate – the same material that is used in bulletproof
windows, police riot shields and bank security screens – can be used to carry and safeguard the
laptops

3. Motion sensors and alarms: Alarms and motion sensors are very efficient in securing
laptops. Once these devices are activated, they can be used to track missing laptops in crowded
places. Modern alarm systems for laptops are designed wherein the alarm device attached to the
laptop transmits radio signals to a certain range around the laptop. The owner of the laptop has a
key ring device that communicates with the laptop alarm device. The alarm is triggered when the
distance between the laptop alarm device & the key ring device crosses the specified range.

4. Warning labels and stamps: Warning labels containing tracking information and
identification details can be fixed onto the laptop to deter aspiring thieves. These labels cannot be
removed easily and are a low-cost solution to a laptop theft. These labels have an identification
number that is stored in universal database for verification, which in turn makes the resale of
stolen laptops a difficult process.

5. Other measures for protecting laptops are as follows:

• Engraving the laptop with personal details

• Keeping the laptop close to oneself wherever possible

• Carrying the laptop in a different and unobvious bag

• Creating the awareness among the employees about the sensitive information contained in the
laptop.

• Making a copy of the purchase receipt of laptop, serial number & description of laptop

• Installing encryption software to protect information stored on the laptop

• Using personal firewall software to block unwanted access and intrusion

• Updating the antivirus software regularly

• Tight office security using security guards and securing the laptop by locking it down in
lockers when not in use

• Never leaving the laptop unattended in public places

• Disabling IR ports and wireless cards when not in use

• Choosing a secure OS

• Registering the laptop with the laptop manufacturer to track down the laptop in case of theft

• Disabling unnecessary user accounts and renaming the administrator account

• Backing up data on a regular basis A few logical access controls are as follows:

• Protecting from malicious programs/attackers/social engineering

• Avoiding weak passwords/open access

• Monitoring application security and scanning for vulnerabilities

• Ensuring that unencrypted data/unprotected file systems do not pose threats

• Proper handling of removable drives/storage mediums/unnecessary ports

• Password protection through appropriate passwords rules and use of strong passwords

• Locking down unwanted ports/devices

• Regularly installing security patches and updates

• Installing antivirus software/firewalls/intrusion detection system (IDSs)

• Encrypting critical file systems

Other countermeasures:

▪ Choosing a secure OS that has been tested & has high security incorporated into it

▪ Registering the laptop with the laptop manufacturer to track down the laptop in case of theft

▪ Disabling unnecessary user accounts & renaming the administrator account

▪ Disabling display of the last logged in username in the login dialog box

▪ Backing up data on a regular basis