Smartphone Malware based on synchronization Vulnerabilities

Date

2011

Authors

Alazab, Mamoun
Alazab, Ammar
Batten, L.

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Publisher

Conference Organising Committee

Abstract

Smartphones are mobile phones that offer processing power and features like personal computers (PC) with the aim of improving user productivity as they allow users to access and manipulate data over networks and Internet, through various mobile applications. However, with such anywhere and anytime functionality, new security threats and risks of sensitive and personal data are envisaged to evolve. With the emergence of open mobile platforms that enable mobile users to install applications on their own, it opens up new avenues for propagating malware among various mobile users very quickly. In particular, they become crossover targets of PC malware through the synchronization function between smartphones and computers. Literature lacks detailed analysis of smartphones malware and synchronization vulnerabilities. This paper addresses these gaps in literature, by first identifying the similarities and differences between smartphone malware and PC malware, and then by investigating how hackers exploit synchronization vulnerabilities to launch their attacks.

Description

Keywords

Keywords: Anti virus; Malwares; Mobile applications; Mobile platform; Mobile users; Processing power; Security threats; User productivity; Global system for mobile communications; Information technology; Mobile phones; Personal computers; Personal computing; Signal Anti-Virus; Malware; Smartphone Malware; Synchronization vulnerabilities

Citation

Source

7th International Conference on Information Technology and Application, ICITA 2011

Type

Conference paper

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