Google goes out and ‘kills’ some rogue apps

V3 are reporting that Google has remotely removed two suspect Android apps from user’s handsets. I think to my knowledge this is the first public sighting of the Google ‘kill switch’. This functionality allows them or a Network operator to either kill and remove applications that they do want running on a smartphone.

It appears from reports, that the apps in question were written by security researchers.  They were not intended to be used maliciously. However, Google viewed them as intentionally ‘misrepresenting themselves’ and stepped in. I talking with press and partners in recent weeks, on all things Android and security, I have made the point that the Android marketplace owes its current incarnation to the premise of implicit trust. This incident shows how trust can and is being broken. It will be reassuring to some to see Google step in here, being seen to remove the apps from the marketplace and also from the handsets themselves. However, it does show up a latent risk.

June 25, 2010 | Filed Under Announcements, Security | Leave a Comment 

No security software – no surfing!

The Government in Australia is in active discussions to make it mandatory that you have to have internet security software in place to use the internet. In addition, they are also looking at additional resources that would allow them to crack down on cyber-criminals.

Now, I am sure that it will come as no surprise that I actively endorse the ambition here. Many of you would expect nothing less of me – putting to one side the self-interest angle here for sales Norton software. One of the biggest issues and challenges that we face at Symantec, and the industry as a whole, is to keep consumers and users engaged in the issue of internet safety. For many of them, they simply cannot be bothered and hope for the best. For others, they seem overwhelmed by the never ending stream of new attacks and scams.  

The Australian debate strikes at the heart of this; ensuring that people take adequate precautions to try and protect themselves and the community at large. This is an interesting and very important point. If I take all the time and attention to keep myself safe online, whilst my virtual neighbours do not, then, to borrow a phrase, ‘it is a plague on both of our houses’. If we want to proactively take the fight to the bad guys, then everyone needs to step up. In security, you are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Having people use the internet who are not protected and not taking even basic precautions is worrisome and effects all of us.

There are many questions that I have as a result of the discussion in Australia.  I will be interested to see how they are addressed. What actually will constitute ‘internet security software’? What will the role and the responsibility of the ISP be ensuring that a user is using security software and what will enforcement of this look and feel like. I am sure it is going to be interesting.

June 25, 2010 | Filed Under Announcements, Security | Leave a Comment 

Norton Everywhere!

We have annouced ‘Norton Everywhere’. The reality today, is that a consumer, is no longer restricted to surfing the internet simply from a PC or Mac. There are a myriad of devices that now allow consumers to connect and surf the internet. Our job is to protect people, whenever, wherever, they are online; to give them the confidence to use and benefit from the internet. Norton Everywhere repositions the core mission of the Norton brand, to expand beyond our current roots in the PC and Mac; to embrace all of those consumer devices that connect to and use the internet. That is a big mission: so we are starting work right away. We have announced three separate, yet connected, strategies under the umbrella of ‘Norton Everywhere’.

Norton Mobile sees us deepen and broaden our security for smartphone devices. We have just put into Beta, Norton Smartphone Security for Android. It has a really cool SMS enabled remote lock and wipe function. This provides physical security for your Android smartphone. Should you lose, or, have your phone stolen, in a matter of seconds you can wipe all the sensitive and personal information from the smartphone. It has a lot of other neat security functions built into it. You can download it from the Android marketplace, or, from our new Norton mobile web site, www.m.norton.com. This web site is optimised to work with mobile browsers. It is an important initiative in its own right. Providing information and videos on how to protect yourself online from a mobile, offering Beta, free and trialware versions of all our mobile products. From the site you can also download Norton Connect. This is a mobile app for the iPhone, iPad and Android, that allows Norton 360 and NOBU customers to access their online backups. We have also placed Norton Connect into the Apple appstore and the Android marketplace.

So, the mobile strategy moves Norton beyond the traditional PC: but we are not stopping there. There are many devices that will allow you to surf the internet. A great example of this are games consoles, and what about the latest and coolest gadget in town, the iPad. These devices can and will benefit from having some basic element of security in place, when they are out there ‘surfing the ‘net’. We have figured out a way of doing that for them. It is called Norton DNS. We have established our own Domain Name Service (DNS). This is analogous to the ‘switchboard’ of the internet, interpreting and connecting the URLs we type, into numeric IP addresses that power the internet. The service is up and operational. If you surf to www.nortondns.com you can find out more about it and how to start to use it. We are in the process of creating software that you can install onto your PC or Android device, that will automatically configure Norton DNS for you.

Finally, there are many other devices that will be connected to the internet. You will not surf the ‘net from them, rather, they will use the it to provide that service or utility to you as a consumer e.g. smart electricity meter, smart fridge, digital ‘photo frame, internet enabled TV etc. All of these devices are valuable, as such, they could ultimately come under attack or exploitation. That is where Norton Embedded Devices steps in. There are technologies, approaches and capabilities, that we have built to secure, support, update and backup PCs. We believe that these can and should be used by consumer manufacturers building and implementing the new generation of ‘smart’ internet enabled devices. We have partnered and invested in a company called Mocana. They are experts in building and deploying security solutions for embedded devices. We believe, that the combination of Symantec and Mocana, will provide the basis to, truly, allow us to enable ‘Norton Everywhere’.

Expect great things from ‘Norton Everywhere’.

June 10, 2010 | Filed Under Announcements, Security | Leave a Comment