Overview of Some Security Aspectsof Smart Phones

Abstract

Smart phones or mobile phones with advanced capabilities are used by more people. Their popularity and relatively weaker security level have made them attractive targets for attackers. Mobile phone security in the beginning has not kept pace with traditional computer security. Security methods, such as firewalls, antivirus software and encryption, were insufficiently represented on mobile phones, and mobile operating systems were not updated as frequently as those on personal computers. However, mobile security nowadays is a rapidly growing field in the security area. With the increase in the number of mobile devices and their applications, the need for mobile security has increased extremely over the past several years. This paper gives an overview of some of the security aspects that must be considered when choosing a particular model of a smart phone with a satisfactory level of security: biometrics, encryption, hardware-assisted security, sandboxed user data, VPN possibility etc. A special accent in the paper is placed on newer types of processors as one of the most important components of the mobile device and their security possibilities. A comparative analysis of the key technical characteristics of the most commonly used newer processors is also given. In addition, the paper also focuses on the use of mobile security software and Android browsers, pointing out its numerous useful features.