IBM has patented an encrypted cloud security product that allows app developers to securely send and receive notifications from mobile devices.
The US-based company said the current security protocols in place for app developers are not fit for purpose and could expose the details of data notifications sent across mobile networks to third parties.
The financial services sector was most at risk of this threat, according to IBM; for example, when a credit card company wanted to warn a customer of potentially fraudulent use, or a bank alerting a customer about suspicious activity on an account.
The new solution allows developers to encrypt data notifications and give them a unique message identifier that is stored in the cloud. It is then sent to a smartphone via a mobile or Wi-Fi network and once the end-user’s device authorises the message, they can then access the encrypted message from the cloud.
Benjamin Fletcher, inventor and software engineering researcher, IBM, said: “This patented invention will enable developers and service providers to design and build applications that ensure sensitive or personal information is not inadvertently exposed across mobile networks. Regardless of the nature of data being pushed to or from a mobile device, it should never be exposed to third-parties since they cannot always guarantee the security and confidentiality to customers.”
IBM said it holds more than 3,000 security patents and monitors 15 billion security events per day across more than 130 countries.
Threats to mobile devices appear to be a greater focus of spammers than conventional PCs. According to research from McAfee, while PC malware growth was largely flat during the past two quarters, it grew by more than a third on Android devices. Meanwhile, SophosLabs claimed it sees more than 2,000 examples of mobile malware each day.
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