Smartphone malware protection using computing security similar to captcha

Are you human or a bot?

Credit: Phil Whitehouse on Flickr

Mobile phones are ubiquitous. One of the allures of mobile phones is that they are personal. A smartphone can store zillion details about its owner in ways never imagined before. Furthermore, mobile phones have extended their use to virtually every aspect of our lives - from making calls to financial transactions. It is then imperative that we take the security of mobile devices as much as important as desktops and laptops. Protecting mobile devices against malware or malicious software implies preserving our privacy.

A research team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have devised a malware detection technique that is simple and akin to captcha verification on computers. The technique involves the detection of hand gestures common with three primary smartphone services like calling, tapping and snapping using motion, position and ambient sensors to give the phone protection against attacks by malware.

Captcha was invented to prevent bots from adding urls to search engines. It is a test used in computing to determine whether the user is a human or not. Malware cannot perform common user gestures which is a familiarity on mobile devices or smartphones, such as tapping, dragging the screen etc; this distinction was used as a security advantage for identifying malware from human gestures whenever a phone attempts making calls, or is performing tasks that involve human gestures.

By the way, the user gesture is one of the weak security points of smartphones. They put themselves at risk by downloading apps that are insecure, or they just click “yes” to an ad without extensive verification. The research team is using this weakness to advantage.

In the future we could see secured gesture techniques extended to commercial grade smartphones and also to other areas of smartphone use, such as sending SMS or email.

Want to take notes? Better to use a pen and paper even when a keyboard is handy.

I was surfing the sciencedaily.com site and found this release which states that for better recall of conceptual facts, it is better to take long notes than transcribe on a laptop. The article might be old but I believe it is useful.

What are the reasons given? In brief:

• When it concerns remembering conceptual information, taking long notes with your pen or biro triumphs over taking notes using your laptop.
• As for recalling common knowledge or facts, both methods of transcription were found equally adequate.
• Your mind tends to process the information it receives while taking long notes; when using a laptop for taking notes, most persons just write out what they hear verbatim without processing them. One more reason why when you’re involved in an important meeting or session, you’d better go for taking long notes with a pen and paper.
• Lastly, long note takers tend to recall facts jotted down a week or more after the original notes were taken better than persons who typed them out originally using a laptop.

Overall, even where taking notes on a laptop will be the norm, the good old pen and paper still triumphs, especially when that note will be important weeks later.

GUN'S POINT? LIFE'S > TRINKETS.

A couple of times, some of us have been witnesses to robberies, involving others or ourselves. You're among the lucky few if you've not. A year ago an Uncle of mine was robbed at gun's point, a gun was pointed at his head. It was a nightmare for him; it was scary for him. We all know what it means to feel defenseless, insecure, pushed to the wall or hunted.

Here are simple tips one can follow to prevent robberies or attacks aimed to rob your goods or property. Although it doesn't mean it's prevent crime altogether, but it sure helps to take precautions. You should note that except for the police who keep records of crimes, we ordinary citizens are not really adept at the ways of criminals.

1. Advertising your status or flaunting your status. Be careful of flaunting what you are worth, what you can do, in the public, especially where you are before strangers. And especially if you are a stranger to a place.

2. In public places, keep a sure eye and tight grip on your valuables. I carry my laptop a lot, on my shoulder and I make sure although the bag is hung on my should, I have my hands on the edge of the bag towards my front. It sure makes for safety.

3. Don't expose money carelessly. We Nigerians are fond of flaunting our wealth at parties and “cashing” the celebrants with naira notes on their foreheads. Some of these persons have reported of visits by robbers after such events. If you have to give, anything, valuable and huge, why don't you do it in private; or rather get it gift-wrapped.

4. Don't travel alone to out-of-the place places. And what if it is absolutely essential that you go, alone, in short notice? Make sure somebody knows about where you are going and keep your cellphone with you. Make repeated calls about your location if you're going to be a total stranger. You never can tell.

5. Take out an insurance policy on expensive valuables. It sure helps to be insured, especially if the good is valuable, but make sure you pay your premiums and be careful that you're dealing with proper insurance agents.

And finally, when robbers are pointing a gun at you?

6. Never scream. Obey them. Give them whatever valuable you have. Make sure you have some marks here and there on such stuff and try to remember details about the robbers. Always do. Remember if they have tribal marks, what they said etc. Sometimes, the police can fish them out faster.

Keep it in mind that not all crimes are reported and never make yourself attractive to robbers.

You can get other information from official sources. Check out this link:
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_4983.aspx