The Mobile Landscape (March 2014)

Notas del editor

1. Source: F-Secure H2-2013 Threat Report: http://www.f-secure.com/static/doc/labs_global/Research/Threat_Report_H2_2013.pdf Source: Forbes, Gordon Kelly, Report: 97% of Mobile Malware is on Android: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/03/24/report-97-of-mobile-malware-is-on-android-this-is-the-easy-way-you-stay-safe/ “Top 10 countries alone saw 140,000 Android Malware Collection” Unregulated 3rd party app stores in Middle East, Africa and Asia carry the majority of Android malware – in fact 0.1% of apps Google Play have malware (and infected apps there tend to have a short shelf life). Ex-Windows hackers and malware developers deserting Windows and heading for the Wild West Frontier of Android? Quite possibly. Let’s talk about what’s next for Android:
2. MWC 2014, 4 weeks ago. 2.7 billion people have internet access – around a third of world’s population 5 billion phones in circulation Nokia looks to “connect the next 1 billion” – X Family is its weapon Facebook reaches 1.2 billion members Bottom line – more Android phones in developing markets, more fragmentation in app stores (Google Play is patchy in its availability and support globally), bigger target. The story with Android doesn’t stop quite there thanks to an announcement from Google last week. Facebook looks to connect the next 5 billion people to the internet (internet.org, SocialEDU)
3. Gartner: 70% of professionals will conduct their work on personal smart devices by 2018 2,3,4 years ago BYOD carrot to IT management was cost saving, enabler for enterprise mobility. Power, capability vs actual productivity aside, new stick beating CIOs and CTOs is security. Well-documented trend away from PCs with, in many cases, well-oiled security measures based on experience. Even the tablet market is changing before our eyes. Gartner again: 62% of tablet sales (2013) were Android. (ref: http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2674215, March 2014). Microsoft @ 2.1%. Emerging ‘Tablet Hybrid’ category, particularly for corporates, ultrabook x tablet with detachable screen, or pwoerful tablet plus accessories. Juniper estimates 50 million units shipped annually in 2018 (ref: http://www.juniperresearch.com/shop/viewwhitepaper.php?whitepaper=249) Big numbers – and that’s before we talk about estimates around wearable technology – why should we care about that? Well, Google’s ‘Android Wear’ announcement last week suggests Android will become even more pervasive; plus Internet of Things – Gartner is suggesting some 26 billion connected devices by 2020. I’ve seen statements of between 20 connected devices in a house (I’d say I’m not far off that right now) up to 500 connected devices in a house. I wouldn’t put it past Google to make many plays over the coming years to ensure Android gets into further embedded devices.
4. 2G Cell Tower Spoofing. Source: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/intercepting-cell-phone-calls/ WPA2 vulnerability. Source: http://phys.org/news/2014-03-wpa2-wireless.html Source: http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2014/02/05/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-2g/ By 2018: “2G is projected to serve nearly 3.5 billion of the world’s 8.3 billion mobile subscribers”