Both Microsoft and Google have agreed to add a kill switch their mobile operating systems. Following an agreement with the New York Attorney General, the next versions of Windows Phone and Android will include a feature that will render handsets useless if they are stolen. The attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, published a report yesterday outlining the important of such a feature, and revealed that two of the biggest names in technology are on-board.
But while a kill switch can act as a serious theft deterrent -- "An activated kill switch converts an easy-to-sell, high-value multimedia device into a jumble of plastic and glass, drastically reducing its street value", says the report -- there are also security concerns. There is potential for the mechanism to be hijacked so the kill switch could be activated by a hacker or malicious user. It is likely that it will also be possible to block the kill switch signal -- perhaps by activating airplane mode until a workaround can be implemented.
Full Article
Here's a couple articles where George Anderson is quoted:
http://itsecurityguru.org/microsoft-google-introduce-killswitch-industry-views/
http://www.globalsecuritymag.com/comment-from-George-Anderson,20140620,45844.html
http://itsecurityguru.org/microsoft-google-introduce-killswitch-industry-views/
http://www.globalsecuritymag.com/comment-from-George-Anderson,20140620,45844.html
Reply
Login to the community
No account yet? Create an account
Enter your username or e-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.