NTT DoCoMo, IBM, Intel team to secure mobile devices
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With an eye towards making mobile devices and the commerce services that run over them more secure, NTT DoCoMo Inc., Intel Corp. and IBM Corp. on Wednesday published a jointly developed security specification called the Trusted Mobile Platform.
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A reconfigurable handheld device could foster a community of hardware hackers.
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(InfoWorld) - A new set of security standards designed to lock down mobile devicesÂ has been hammered outÂ and is set to be unveiled at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show being held in Los Angeles next month. Called the Mobile Security Specification, it is billed as the basis for a new generation of secure phones and mobile devices that will be harder to tamper with and more secure. The standards are backed by companies such as Nokia, Samsung Electronics, and France Telecom. The specification has been years in development, said Janne Uusilehto, head of Nokia product security and the chairman of the working group developing this technology. "It is a big deal. This is the first time that we have created such common security specifications for all handheld devices," Uusilehto said. The new specifications are built on work done by the Trusted Computing Group, (TCG) an industry association that has already created similar standards for PCs, servers and networks. Uusilehto's Mobile Phone Work Group expects to announce the specification on Sept. 13 at the CTIA show, provided that the remaining minor details can be worked out. The specification will beÂ published here. Â The Nokia executive declined to say when his company or others will be producing phones that comply with the new specification, but he predicted that manufacturers would soon begin using the technology to lock down basic parts of their devices, such as the operating system. When these devices appear, they will make things more difficult for data thieves and mobile virus writers. Down the line, the technology could be used to build electronic wallets into mobile phones. In general terms, the specification calls on hardware vendors to store protected information in a secure area of the phones. Similar to the Trusted Platform Module used in PCs, this technology could be used to ensure that the phone's operating system, applications and data have not been tampered with. This type of trusted module could also be used by network operators to ensure that the phones on their network can't be used if they are stolen, said Mark Redman, a principal engineer with Freescale Semiconductor Inc. who is familiar with the specification. "That is probably one of the biggest concerns that the cell phone operators have at this stage," he said. Though some companies may be early adopters of the Mobile Security Specification, it could take years before cell phone users reap any benefits, said Roger Kay, an analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates who serves as on the TCG's advisory council. "What typically will happen is that there may be some early adopters who start adhering to the specification before it's fully accepted," he said, adding that "just because [the Trusted Computing Group standard] promulgates, it doesn't mean that it's going to be adopted." Even after years of development, there is still debate about whether trusted modules are the right approach for the PC industry, he said. "The most interesting, most advanced features are going to take years, because everybody has to agree to adhere to the new standard."
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Partnership will produce secure processor that enable mobile phones to be used for "contactless payments."
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Japan's largest mobile operator, NTT  DoCoMo Inc. 9437.T, unveiled on Wednesday a new line of  advanced mobile phones with stereo-quality surround sound,  high-resolution digital cameras, and a special chip that allows  owners to use their phones as a debit card.
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NTT DoCoMo Inc (9437.T), Fuji Television  Network Inc. (4676.T), Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. (4660.T)  and other companies will team up to develop television shows  for mobile phones, the Nihon Keizai business daily reported on  Wednesday.
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Anti-virus protection will ship later this month with some new phones in Japan, a harbinger of cellular threats to come. Security products are already available for handheld
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Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc., Fuji Television Network Inc., Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. and other firms will team up to develop new broadcast services for cellphones, the companies said on Wednesday.
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IBM is the first PC manufacturer to use a National Semiconductor chip that stores a PC&#39;s identity in silicon to avert hackers by safeguarding passwords and other sensitive identity information.
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A group of mobile phone operators and handset vendors is developing a third-generation mobile phone platform that combines many standard hardware and software components.
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NTT DoCoMo, Japan's dominant mobile operator, is planning to offer combined fixed and mobile services to business and residential customers. It is the latest sign of growing global interest in convergence between the two technologies.
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NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile operator, has developed a common software platform that can run on both the Linux and Symbian operating systems used in its 3G (third generation) mobile phones, the company said Thursday.
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New mobile devices such as the iPhone and the OQO ultramobile PC pose compatibility and security challenges that IT managers will have to resolve, said attendees at a Gartner conference.
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Fixed-mobile convergence vendor BridgePort Networks Inc has teamed up with smart card vendor Oberthur Card Systems SA and softphone developer CounterPath Solutions Inc to launch a USB stick that enables SIM authentication for softphones on PCs.
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Software security companies and  handset makers, including Finland's Nokia, are gearing up to  launch products intended to secure cell phones from variants of  the Internet viruses that have become a scourge for personal  computer users.
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NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone and 24 other mobile phone firms and manufacturers join forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks.
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Hitachi and Intel are teaming up to add storage to more mobile devices.