{"id":1300,"date":"2013-02-26T12:00:26","date_gmt":"2013-02-26T17:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2013-05-20T13:33:56","modified_gmt":"2013-05-20T17:33:56","slug":"mobile-novelties-from-barcelona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobile Novelties from Barcelona"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Mobile World Congress, which is currently under way in Barcelona, is the world\u2019s premier telecoms industry event. It\u2019s the place where the most important announcements are made on issues from the latest smartphones to standardizing mobile payments. Kaspersky Lab will announce its news on Tuesday, during the second day of the congress. While we\u2019re waiting, let\u2019s take a look at Monday\u2019s big news \u2013 and what it means in terms of security.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114333\/intro-photo.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1301\" alt=\"intro-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114333\/intro-photo.jpeg\" width=\"1000\" height=\"748\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fox on the smartphone<\/strong><br>\nOne of the most resonant events so far was the demonstration of Firefox OS, the \u201clive\u201d version of a new operating system for smartphones. As its name suggests, it was created by Mozilla \u2013 a non-profit community famous for its popular web browser.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114331\/firefox-os.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1302\" alt=\"firefox-os\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114331\/firefox-os.jpeg\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1023\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The OS is based on web standards, all applications are written in HTML5 and Javascript \u2013 the \u201calpha couple\u201d, which is the foundation of any web page. Of course, dedicated add-ons are responsible for access to hardware features, which enable you to run all the usual applications on your phone \u2013 from phone calls and navigation maps (via Nokia HERE services) to games (Cut the Rope was demonstrated).<\/p>\n<p>Alcatel One Touch, LG, Huawei and ZTE have already promised to produce mobiles running under the new OS, but more significantly, Firefox OS has secured widespread support among telecoms operators \u2013 17 operators have already announced plans to promote the new development, with Russia\u2019s VimpelCom (Beeline) and MegaFon among them. All Firefox smartphones are expected to be very affordable.<\/p>\n<p>Two features of Firefox\u2019s web heritage are worthy of special attention. First, the user can run applications without installing them onto the smartphone, and they only need to be \u201crecorded\u201d on the desktop if they are in constant use. Second, the system is not limited to a single app store like Apple, so programs can be run and installed from third-party sources. It is here that a serious and threatening problem lurks \u2013 a malicious web page (a malicious application, in fact) can get powerful tools to manipulate personal data. This goes beyond the wildest dreams of even the most skilled hackers targeting standard PCs \u2013 for example, the unauthorized download of the address book. Of course, the developers have provided protection mechanisms against unauthorized application activity, but experience shows that \u201choles\u201d are usually found. Hopefully, a mechanism of prompt and accurate security updates will be integrated into the OS, which users can launch without special effort.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pullquote\">It is here that a serious and threatening problem lurks \u2013 a malicious web page (a malicious application, in fact) can get powerful tools to manipulate personal data.<\/div>\n<p><strong>The Internet of things<\/strong><br>\nSo far, the range of online-enabled devices has mostly been limited to computers and smartphones, but a new generation of Internet-ready devices, such as TV sets, cars and household appliances, is emerging. Technologies that allow such devices to connect to the Internet have existed for a long time, but they are now available in ready-made chips that manufacturers can incorporate into their appliances without much hassle. In addition, configuring equipment has never been easier \u2013 devices can be controlled from a tablet or smartphone, and they can be added to the home network\u2019s control panel simply by pointing the smartphone\u2019s camera at a newly-installed device, such as a coffee machine.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114330\/smart-home.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1303\" alt=\"smart-home\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114330\/smart-home.jpeg\" width=\"666\" height=\"1024\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Naturally, security should be a key consideration in this. If your smartphone, computer and coffee machine communicate over an unencrypted Wi-Fi channel, this is an invitation for your next-door neighbors to order nice hot cappuccinos from your coffee machine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NFC<\/strong><br>\nNFC (Near Field Communication) technology was demonstrated on a very extensive and impressive scale, operating not only on the Congress grounds but throughout the whole of Barcelona. NFC technology is not new \u2013 it was first implemented about seven years ago \u2013 but smartphones incorporating NFC only became really numerous in the past year, and their ubiquity is still growing. The idea behind NFC is simple: bring your smartphone close to a reader (or another smartphone) and make things happen.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114329\/lumia720nfc.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1304\" alt=\"lumia720nfc\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2013\/02\/05114329\/lumia720nfc.jpeg\" width=\"480\" height=\"309\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>NFC can be used to ride on the metro, make a credit card payment, sign in at the gym, exchange virtual business cards with a new acquaintance, send pictures to friends, play music from the smartphone on an external speaker, open a website or download a program \u2013 there is no limit to its possible applications. MWC demonstrated this on a lavish scale: many caf\u00e9s and shops in Barcelona accept NFC payments; smartphones could be used by MWC visitors instead of regular passes; interactive booths with NFC functionality were installed throughout the congress grounds. Speaker manufacturers are beginning to offer handy NFC-based accessories \u2013 Jabra has joined JBL in promoting this technology. But it\u2019s not just a boon for ordinary users; cybercriminals are no doubt delighted with this abundance of opportunities as well, particularly those related to banking and to downloading applications. This means that as the popularity of NFC grows, malicious applications targeting this convenient technology will also become more common. This is something that we are going to discuss tomorrow with Denis Maslennikov, Senior Malware Analyst at Kaspersky Lab who specializes in the analysis of mobile threats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Mobile World Congress, which is currently under way in Barcelona, is the world\u2019s premier telecoms industry event. It\u2019s the place where the most important announcements are made on issues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":1306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[320,321],"class_list":{"0":"post-1300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-mobile-world-congress","9":"tag-technology"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"en-ae","url":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"},{"hreflang":"en-in","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"},{"hreflang":"en-us","url":"https:\/\/usa.kaspersky.com\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"},{"hreflang":"en-gb","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.uk\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"},{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"},{"hreflang":"ja","url":"https:\/\/blog.kaspersky.co.jp\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/525\/"},{"hreflang":"en-au","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.au\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"},{"hreflang":"en-za","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.za\/blog\/mobile-novelties-from-barcelona\/1300\/"}],"acf":[],"banners":"","maintag":{"url":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/tag\/mobile-world-congress\/","name":"Mobile World Congress"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}