Short Message Service (sms) security solution for mobile devices

3. Information 
Leakage 
Most modern smart phones have huge memory capacities. Many of them 
feature expansion slots for memory devices like Secure Digital (SD) cards. 
Today, a four gigabyte SD card can be bought for less than US$80. Using
expansion slots, the amount of memory available to the mobile device is virtually 
unlimited. This means that huge amount of data can be stored, and potentially 
lost.
Furthermore, the modern mobile devices feature a rich set of connectivity 
options including high speed connections, like 802.11g. If the mobile device is 
connected to the corporate network, a huge amount of information can be leaked 
to the mobile device in a very short time.
Besides sensitive corporate data, personal information, such as address 
books, phone books, email correspondences, all reside on the mobile device. 
Once the data is compromised, the owner, family members, and friends may be 
subjected to identity theft, depending on the type of information kept by the 
owner in his address book.
4. Operating 
System 
All popular Operating Systems for mobile devices today implement a 
monolithic kernel without protection ring or domains. This means that any user 
gaining physical access to the device has access to the supervisor mode. There 
is no separation between user mode and supervisor mode. The access control is, 
at best, enforced via password or PIN protection. Therefore, anyone holding the 
device has access to all the information on the device and all the networks that 
the device is authorized to connect to. A common overlooked connectivity is the 
HotSync function, which is activated when the phone is being charged at a 
docking station connected to a laptop or Personal Computer (PC). A network 
connection is automatically established to the laptop or PC for synchronization of 
data. Usually this connection bypasses all of the device password protections. By 

---

 24
connecting to the laptop or PC, the mobile is also connected to the rest of the 
network to which the laptop or PC is connected.