Blackberry and iPhone: Exploits of Smartphones Research Paper

Introduction

Mobile phones have become an inevitable companion for people in the modern era. The new generation is using various kinds of mobile phones for communication. From telephones to iPhones, the developments in technology have changed the vision as well as way of life. Years back, mobile phones were an amazing technology for the common people, but nowadays it has become so common. There are many models of mobile phones.

An important advantage of these phones is that they have made communication very easy. Their widespread use helps the public to be in touch with one another easily and they have access to any person in the world. The trends in mobile technology changed the entire concept of mobile phones and different models are entering the market. Recently, people have changed their preference from ordinary cell phones to Smartphones, and it has become a status symbol and matter of pride in society. These phones facilitate a lot of advantages like texting, picturing messaging, access to the Internet, banking, purchasing etc.

The most recent trend in cell phones brings a union of tone of voice, video and data connections. By joining together information with amusements and leisure, these mobile phones are the latest style in the developing path of infotainments. The latest models of cell phones are not only for voice, but it has changed the mode from voice call to video calls. Smartphone introduction has now modified the mobile set to a full-grown minicomputer.

It includes MP3 systems, video recording system like real movie reels, radio and TV entertainments etc at the punch of mobile keys besides digital cameras with several pixels and high speed internet. So, we cannot confine them within the scope of the word “mobile phones.” Such are the new trends in mobile phone technologies and their development into the Smartphone.

The most important producers of mobile phones include Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola. But these mobile giants now face stiff competition because of the new trends. The first generation or 1G technology has disappeared from history. In the new era, third generation or 3G technology is conquering the hearts of mobile users. The firms which are active in making cell phones with most up-to-date 3G utilities are making good profits. Smartphones like Blackberry and iPhone are now coming with larger displays, touch screen and virtual keyboards. These keyboards are easy to use and are able to being restructured and modified by the users.

The operating system is very crucial in every Smartphone in the present day world. Unfortunately, it remains a fact that some people misuse such technologies. It is not the problem with the technology as such but it is because of the anti-social elements among public who create a bad image about the new technologies. Smartphones such as Blackberry and iPhone in the possession of such people are misused by them creating a threat to the security of people as well as nations. Another risk is that hackers can manipulate the technology of smartphones and can mount an attack. Blackberry is vulnerable to compound attacks and leak of private data or misuse of the same.

For this, the signature and code signing keys can be acquired at cheaper rates. The customer could be simply deceived by sending very exclusive messages by a function that makes to bond to the internet for legal intention. These are highly subjected to SMS harassments that permit the hackers to send SMS through the contaminated mechanism and to obtain entry to the code giving them open internet admission and the actual user has to pay for these. These signed functions can send emails and read incoming mails. They can add, delete or alter the contact details and can unlock the TCP/IP links. These details can be sent to any other application by the attackers.

In recent times, there was an assault that gave the strangers straight admission to business structures and network information through a connected Blackberry or new personal digital assistant, avoiding every applied outside contact obstructions. “The attack uses Trojan code based on a Blackberry proxy attack (BBProxy). Blackberry devices are typically connected to a corporate network through a “persistent tunnel” implemented via a protected VPN that prevents the communication from being inspected by an external process. This connection is terminated within the network at the corporate Blackberry server. The effect of this connection is to make Blackberry essentially part of the internal network, regardless of Blackberry’s connection point” (Blackberry exploit: An open door to your corporate network, 2009, p.1).

iPhones also stand the chance of attack by viruses and information can be extracted covertly. This will lead to code and signature exploitation and wireless exploitations. Unauthorized calls from Blackberry and iPhones have, in many cases, caused threats to the security of nations. Some nations are even contemplating the banning of Blackberry to avoid the threat of terrorists using this modern technology for their ulterior motives. In many instances the countries have not been able to trace data from Blackberry and this leaves scope for anyone to use this opportunity, and it makes it easy for the terrorists to plan and execute violence. Countries like India have asked Blackberry owners to start their network tracking system in those nations itself to get the details. Based on the survey of Trend Micro, some Smartphone owners have already encountered hacking of bank details.

IPhones have inherent security dangers caused due to software errors that can reveal the client’s information. There can also be exploitation of passwords leading to several attacks. These hits will be able to be noticed by some of the IDS/IPS systems. There are some possible remedies for these exploitations. The use of alarms or security alerts will help to decrease attacks and exploitations.

Literature Review

Introduction

Blackberries and iPhones contain effective software and technology. Smartphones such as Blackberry and iPhone recommend are high end devices designed to help people by providing them suitable platform for exchange of information and associated facilities. This is an up to date space of cross cultural and imaginative outlook. Blackberry and iPhone are mobile phones that provide more progressed connectivity than an up to date basic ‘characteristic of feature phone’. These Smartphones run entire operating systems. Because the product is technologically innovative, research has to be conducted to determine issues consisting of the environment of the marketplaces, motivation, outlook, preferences and purposes.

Logan Jackson, in his Articles called “How Smartphones Have Evolved,” states that “Cell phones have progressed a lot in the past decade in comparison to its initial launch. Some of the Smartphones have turned out to be extremely complicated and technologically advanced”. There is high demand for smart phones nowadays. “Current smart phones have some kind of operating system (OS) and are able to have new apps installed on them. They can either be open source or be like the iPhone and be totally proprietary, meaning you can’t easily program your own apps or easily download whatever you want for free.

So, if given the choice, open source is definitely better, no matter what the Apple fan boys will tell you. The Symbian OS is currently the most well-known open source OS, but Google’s Android system is becoming more popular as well” (Jackson, 2010, para.3). He also says that, a number of Smartphones also have been manufactured with GPS attributes which operate by means of satellite so that it will not get misplaced or lost.

Even though a smart phone does not maintain satellite supported GPS, they can still make use of maps or somewhat identical equipments to estimate the place it is housed on the basis of cell phone tower stationing. “So, smart phones are indeed much like miniature laptops in a sense (even smaller than net books). Which one you decide to buy depends on what you need it to do. If you plan to type a lot, I would personally recommend you get one with a QWERTY keypad, and avoid phones that only have on-screen touch screen keyboards because those will make your screen dirty all the time” (Jackson, 2010, para.6).

According to Art Rosenberg in his Article called, Consumer UC, Smartphones, CEBP Drive NexGen Customer Service, the speedy acceptance of multimodal, personalized or modified smartphones, customers and company clients, get the chance to make use of UC for equally inbound and outbound genuine -point communications among clientele, endeavor action-takers, and computerized trade applications will be increasing considerably. The idea behind the Apps Store of wireless service suppliers can be comprehensive to the endeavor portals to assist individual purchasers’ admittance to a variety of mobile consumer submissions.

The computerized trade procedure can observe the position of submission metrics and proactively start a modified consumer contact by way of a selection of customer interfaces on the basis of convenience or consumer’s preference. (Consumer UC, Smartphones, CEBP Drive NexGen Customer Service by Art Rosenberg. Published in the year January 25, 2010). “The iPhone 3GS (now new and improved with no space between the 3G and S) has been out in parts of the world for a full week, and hackers are already looking for exploits in order to jailbreak and unlock the device to set it free. Fortunately for iPhone 3GS owners not content with being confined, famed iPhone hacker George Hotz claims to have found an exploit in the latest Apple phone” (Yam, 2009, para.1).

According to Tanmay Sasvadkar in his Article called, “The Best Smartphone’s Ever”, Palm is too a large forename in the smart phone category and it is actually tough to overlook this manufacturer for the reason that they have provided us some tremendous handsets. (Best Smartphone’s ever by Tanmay Sasvadkar.)

William Deutsch in his Article called, “Threats against Smartphone’s Are Rising”, talks about the security of Smartphones. He says that, “as smart phones turn out to be a larger fraction of our existences, we wait for the victorious attacks in opposition to them to amplify”. Many people carry an illusion that smart phones such as iPhone and BlackBerry are immune to start virus threats. For this reason, virus protection software is not a mainstream industry when it comes to these types of devices. Not only do smart phones enclose a gold mine of individual and corporate data, they may offer a right of entry position into business networks. As an effect, wait for smart phones hits to give attention on stealing the data on an exacting phone, or utilizing them to enter a network. (Threats against Smartphone’s are rising by William Deutsch.)

Research Methodology

Research problem

The topic of exploiting by Smart Phones is a very interesting research topic. Smart Phones are wireless mobile devices which offer a number of special additional features in comparison to featured phones which are used only for making calls like the internet connection and other computer applications. The research problem is to research on the negative issues relating to smart phones like the Blackberry and iPhone and its involvement in several criminal cases.

Research Design

There are two research methodologies which are generally used for the purpose of research: Quantitative and Qualitative. The topic of exploitation of smart phones is more of a topic which can be qualitatively researched. Research design is a framework in which the research situation is analyzed so that an appropriate research method can be adopted. Careful analysis and stated facts were collected for the purpose of this research design. The role of Smartphone’s in a number of criminal cases in a number of countries was considered like the cases of financial scams and cases of child pornography. Many financial scams and child pornography cases reported in UAE were conducted by using Smartphone’s.

Developing a research plan

The research plan is a significant ingredient that is to be developed after selecting the research design and narrowing down to research problem. The research plan of any study should comprise of research on objectives, problems, concepts and obtaining the details of various techniques that are involved in the successful completion and deriving the most appropriate findings of a particular study. The contextual background was identified as different countries and the priority areas for the purpose of the research were the cases reported in various parts of the world.

Research was conducted in universities, offices, mobile phone corporations, security agencies, detective agencies etc, in order to understand the negative issues and exploitation of smart phones such as Blackberry and iPhones. Smart phones are more effective than mobile phones due to their utility as a device with diverse applications. However, these equipments are “being used to fan violence, cyber crime and terrorism and are vulnerable to disruption of communication. Affordable mobile internet – smart phones and data services–exist today in wealthier societies and could be near universal in the next generation” (Akhtar & Arinto, 2009, p.vii).

Smart phones offer uninterrupted, uncontrolled 24 x 7 internet service, which while being beneficial, also runs several risks too.

Selection of Qualitative over Quantitative for this specific research

Mobile phones and smart phones are an integral part of our society in the present day. Therefore, the research topic of study needs to be perceived as a social science topic of study. The research topic involves the issue of investigating many people from different areas of research such as universities, offices, smart phone agencies, detective and security agencies etc. Therefore, there is a lot of human involvement and hence the type research which can be more appropriate is qualitative methodology. “Blackberry users are at a risk of weakening the power of concentration and are creators of Brain Sickness. Therefore the notion is do not make yourself blackberry slave or vibrating tone” (Blackberry bad effect: Behind the positive, smartphones side effects can endanger our health, 2010, para.6).

Qualitative research

The main qualitative method that is used for the purpose of this research is case study analysis. For this purpose, previous cases of smart phones causing danger to security concerns have been analyzed. It has been found that there were many instances where have caused smart phones danger by transmitting information because the smart phones use advanced technologies. The use of advanced technologies in smart phones like Blackberry leads to the copying of secret information easily and its wide internet usage transmits information faster than any other service. “Sensitive corporate data on smart phones will probably draw only a small number of very targeted attacks; but it only makes sense that security pros expect attack trends on mobile devices to mirror trends for all other computing environments” (What happens next: “A giant hamster wheel of pain”, 2009, p.31).

Thus, the case study used in the qualitative research provides a better analysis of previous cases and is thus more helpful in helping the research. There is several criminal case instances reported in Abu Dhabi such as child pornography and financial scams which has led the Abu Dhabi government to consult a team of experts from the MET laboratory in London by which they can learn how to retrieve and extract data of crimes done through using Smartphone’s.

The forensic experts are learning how to combat the increasing crimes using Smartphone’s. Smartphone crimes were highly prevalent in US also. Ed Stroz who worked in the Stroz Friedberg had detected a number of Smartphone crimes and had served for a huge period in the US federal bureau of investigation. Many digital crime cases were hacked by Stroz, the most important being the case of a Russian criminal who committed a burglary in Citibank.

Smartphone are used today in forgery, fraud and defamation cases. Symbian Smartphone’s forensics is a new study found out to enforce law in digital crime cases. Private and confidential information can be transferred using Smartphone’s. These Smartphone’s arte highly advanced and can transfer highly confidential and private information of celebrities and they can be associated with several criminal cases. Several countries have faced failures in detection of crimes because of their inability to hack the data stored in the internal memory card of the Smartphone’s. But now technologies have been developed for seizing the data stored in the internal memory of the Smartphone’s to detect the crimes and to understand the background of crimes.

Mustaque Ahamad who is the director of the Atlanta-based centre for technology-security expertise and education is of the opinion that Smartphone’s are used in gaining private health records of celebrities like politicians and are then misused in crimes. He is of the opinion that the battery power available in Smartphone slows down the detection process in criminal cases and hampers the investigation process.

Analysis and results

Smart phones are those that are much significant today, and have captured the market at a rapid pace. It has quickly replaced the feature phone and the current survey says that 40% of consumers are now using smart phones.

Exploitation within the learning environment

As a greater majority of students are interested in using sophisticated technology for digital education and e-learning, equipments like smart phones and iPhones stand to gain quick popularity among the student population. They also prefer to use Smartphones to play songs, videos, taking photographs and for multimedia storage, with USB connector and enjoy the entertainment during free hours.

The popularity that these modern gadgets enjoy will influence not only the student themselves, but also a generation, other students and in a few cases, the family members. Thus the study will need to encompass a wider specter of population. One has to also consider the misuse of these equipments by students. These topics incorporated risk analysis, medical proceedings and the explosive related subjects in the country. It was mainly as a catalyst in generating certain information on the same.

For example, a student report shows how to be an immigrant to different countries and the criminal lessons by the Kray brothers, various graphical lessons which makes or contributes to difficult questions that are to be answered. On the other hand, the humorous elements for the resources as the fun making elements can help the students for the completion of the assignments and then submitting the assignment to the various social networking like the Twitter, Facebook, Orkut etc. This will contribute for enjoyment for student and the good results can be achieved by them.

Students see the use and effortlessness as the smartphone’s chief reward. One student specified that it is easy to handle and use. Besides, it is good for data transfer at the highest possible speed and easy in accessing the information. The major disadvantage centers on the deficient video format suitability among the smartphone and computer. Therefore, the transferring rates are not compatible with each other. The email and internet services are popular and are added advantages in comparison to the featured phones and these phones create a kind of the revolution in the cyber era.

Smart phones are found to run the risk of being used by children to watch pornography and also possibility of , the sending various porn sites through the blue tooth and the other 3G accessories besides with these phones in possession , the children receive the freedom accessing the sites and getting adequate information on various pornographic sites. In the current era schools and other educational institutions are banning smart phones because these are being misused.

The various threats faced by the smart phones are the

Allowing unauthorized access

This allows the accessing of the iPhone or BlackBerry though access is restricted. The password, applications or services have been hacked. This helps in accessing much of the information from the domain and storing of the information in other cache memory.

Diverting the calls

With the advent of the new techniques, attackers or hackers can divert any phone calls and then make use of the same to make calls. Calls can also be forwarded and they are given to the service provider and the charges applicable are much higher than the regular rate.

Malware propagation

Malware is a mechanism that can cause harm to the device. Such attacks can affect only a particular mobile customer. However, large scale assaults can be accumulated to immobilize communal services. The malware propagation is a serious threat people need to be careful as this can cause exploitation among the Wi-Fi network and the cross service exploitation on cyber and cellular networks. The whole “the number of 911 calls placed by people using wireless phones has radically increased. Public safety personnel estimate that about 50 percent of the millions of 911 calls they receive daily are placed from wireless phones, and that percentage is growing” (Liu, et al, 2009, p.6).

Blackberry product sales are found to be at a quick decrease in the current report as there is much fear of banning of smart phones in various countries. Many of the countries have warned against the use of such phones and sales have decreased rapidly. A Canadian based seller of the iPhone reports so.

Conclusion

Students, criminals and hackers are found to be accessing of the of various services multimedia accessible on the smart phone as they are the influential enablers for the service. Phone companies would persist in expanding the gadget for various kinds of people performing various tasks and they are useful for the understanding the activity. Mobile computer systems such as PDA and smart phones are becoming popular due the ease and comfort they provide. Along with this development, there is an increase of spiteful behavior with these mobile systems, such as in sequence escape, service burglary, and power collapse.

Besides the threats posed against personal mobile users, it also paves the way for more serious problems such as disabling of significant communal replicated corporal systems that are associated to the wireless communications. Normally people do not recognize the gravity of such situations. The portable devices, even with safety mechanism, are still susceptible to a set of vigilantly crafted attacks. Taking Linux-base phones as an illustration we show that this vulnerability not only makes it possible to attack individual mobile devices such as restricted resources, defense mechanisms, and divert phone calls, but also can be used to commence scattered denial-of-service attack next to significant communal services such as 911.

Reference List

Akhtar, S., & Arinto, P. (2009). Digital review of Asia Pacific 2009-2010. IDRC, p.vii. Web.

Blackberry bad effect: Behind the positive, smartphones side effects can endanger our health. (2010). Tommy. Web.

Blackberry exploit: An open door to your corporate network. (2009). Jefferson Wells, p.1. Web.

Jackson, L. (2010). How smartphones have evolved. Articles Base. Web.

Liu, L., et al. (2009). Exploitation and threat analysis of open mobile devices. Google Docs, p.6. Web.

What happens next: “A giant hamster wheel of pain”. (2009). CSO, p.31. Web.

Yam, M. (2009). iPhones 3GS exploit found for jailbreak and unlock. Toms Guide. Web.