International Journal of Engineering and Applied Computer Science (IJEACS)

Volume: 03, Issue: 01, December 2021

Smartphone Security and Protection Practices

Mohammed Abdul Bari Shahanawaj Ahamad Mohammed Rahmat Ali
Department of Computer Science and College of Computer Science and Department of Computer Science and
Engineering, ISL Engineering College, Engineering, University of Hail, Hail Engineering, ISL Engineering College,
Osmania University, Hyderabad, India City, Saudi Arabia Osmania University, Hyderabad, India
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Abstract—The research and communications for detecting mobile

security threats with the best protection practices of applications
have become essential goals nowadays due to the continuous
discoveries of new vulnerabilities. The internet and web-based
activities have been increased drastically in recent times by users
of all categories. Users have extensively started involved in
gaming, banking, frequent bill payment, entertainment, and
other network and online activities that are requiring a large
number of mobile phone protection and security mechanisms in
response to advancements in full-stack applications and wireless
networks. The goal of this paper is to uncover the best-applied
practices in the domain of mobile security to protect smartphone
devices. The main advantages of smartphones are small size with
easiness in carrying anywhere and can be a replacement for
computing devices in some ways for example emails.
Unfortunately, the convenience of using smartphones to do the
private task is the loophole cyber attackers need to gain access to
personal data. Thus, this paper proposed eight best practices to
protect and secure smart mobile phones.

Keywords — Smartphone, Mobile Security, Mobile

Protection, Intelligent System.
I. INTRODUCTION
The recent age is well thought-out as the age of mobility
and network communication. To be in touch for long-distance,
no need to be hung around for days or hours; nowadays the
mode of communication is almost in real-time. The fast and Fig.1. Evolution of Mobile Device & OS [1]
accelerated innovations in information and communication
technologies and mobile devices in current years have made it II. BACKGROUND STUDY
possible. From the early nineteenth century till date, the The latest researches have shown a significant rise in the
development of mobile devices boosts extraordinarily [1, 2]. popularity and ubiquity of mobile devices among all categories
of users all around the world [4]. Devices are based on an
In 1947[1], Bell laboratory introduced the word Mobile
explicit operating system either Android or iOS that enables
Network and the first automated mobile phone systems scheme
users to install a huge variety of applications, usually referred
for private vehicles that was launched in Sweden in the year
to as “apps,” from online sources called markets: Apple App
1956. The first money-making commercial mobile phone was
Store, and Google Play [4, 5]. The aforementioned apps are the
introduced by Motorola. In 1973, they made the first public
core of smartphones that are elevating their functionality and
mobile phone call on a device that was weighed 1.1 Kg [1].
enhancing the daily lives of their users. The app markets permit
In the history of 30 years, there were some foremost users to carry out a quick search and put in new apps, but at the
changes in the mobile phone architecture. Numerous same time, they are also a starting place of different kinds of
revolutions had been occurring in that era, which is reported in malware masked as normal apps. Nowadays, mobile devices
the figure 1. [1, 2, 3, 18]. are subject to a wide range of safety challenges and malicious
threats. [6,7,20]
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Mohammed Abdul Bari et al. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Computer Science (IJEACS)
Volume: 03, Issue: 01, December 2021

Today, every smartphone operates based on its operating (+14 million), followed by Indonesia (+9 million) and the
system. Android, iOS, Tizen, KaiOS are the main of this type Philippines (+8 million).
[3]. This smartphone Operating System (OS) allows added
software to run on the phone to which provides varied
functionalities to the users. It enhances the user knowledge, but
security and privacy are the main concern to worry by allowing
3rd party apps on users’ devices. As a result, smartphone OS
developers don’t want to allow 3rd party apps to access root
level and susceptible information. Being a flexible smartphone
OS at the beginning, Google’s Android is also following the
warning access method. Accessing system-level information,
system logs, and other susceptible information is now being
restricted continuously. In our studies, we have found that the
development of many machines’ optimization and security-
related apps had stopped due to permission decline. [1, 2, 3]
There are a few studies that work on Android’s security
problem in the app development and adjustment phase. Jha et
al. [8] studied 13,483 real-world Android applications and
found only 2,373 apps with no configuration errors; this is a
development phase scenario. These security problems become
more severe when studies establish that security and privacy
are not the main tasks of the developers [3]. Security and
privacy are common responsibilities of both the app service Fig.2. Global mobile subscriptions and subscribers (in billions) [10]
providers and the end-users. Usage-pattern and misuse: both
The figure for mobile broadband subscriptions raised 10
intentionally and unintentionally may raise the probability of
percent year-on-year, growing by 120 million in Q3 2019. The
security threats to the end-users. Google’s Android help and
total is at the present 6.2 billion or 77 percent of mobile
support center provide some simple guidelines for the Android
subscriptions. Figure 3 for 4G (LTE) subscriptions amplified
device users for helping the device and information safe and
by 190 million for the period of the quarter to reach a total of
secure [9, 1, 3, 22]
4.2 billion, or 52 percent of all mobile subscriptions. 3G
According to researchers and agencies, mobile computing (WCDMA/HSPA) subscriptions were rejected by 50 million
is a phenomenon worth observing since our habits as and 2G (GSM/EDGE-only) subscriptions were rejected by 70
consumers, a few of which are listed in the following and are million. Other technologies to reject by around 10 million
radically changing [7, 10, 11, 12]: [4,10].
• Over 73%, depending on any age group, of all emails are
opened on mobile devices.
• Already in 2017, around 95% of Facebook users accessed
the social network via mobile devices.
• 80% of users used a mobile device to search the internet in
2019.
• 40% of online transactions are done using mobile devices.
• More than 50% of websites now use responsive web
design technologies that work for all devices.
• More than 75% of shoppers use mobile devices along with
physical shopping.
• Global mobile data traffic is more than 30 exabytes per
month.
Fig.3. Mobile subscription by Technology (in billions) [4, 10]
The figure for mobile subscriptions shown in Figure 2 rises
at 3 percent year on year and currently totals around 8 billion.
High subscription growth continues from previous quarters in
China, which had the most net additions during the quarter

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Mohammed Abdul Bari et al. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Computer Science (IJEACS)
Volume: 03, Issue: 01, December 2021

Fig.4. Number of Smartphone users worldwide 2012-2023 [4,10]

Figure 5 has depicted the mobile applications worldwide.
Figure 4 depicted the number of smartphone users The revenue of the global Smartphone market continuous to
worldwide, which nowadays surpasses three billion and is boost over the last few years, despite stagnating unit sales, due
forecast to further grow by numerous hundred million in the to a growing average promotion price of smartphones. [4,10]
next few years. China, India, and the United States are the The foremost Smartphone vendors today are Samsung, Apple,
countries with the maximum number of smartphone users, with and Huawei. Taken jointly the three knowledge companies
a collectively 1.46 billion users. The Smartphone market still account for about half of all smartphone shipments worldwide.
has high growth possible though, as the Smartphone diffusion All three shipped at least 200 million smartphones in 2018,
rate is still lower than 70 percent in many highly occupied with Samsung leading the way with more than 290 million
countries, in particular China and India. Smartphone unit shipments. [4, 10]

Fig.5. Mobile Application around the globe [10]

ISBN: 9798799755577 www.ijeacs.com 3

Mohammed Abdul Bari et al. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Computer Science (IJEACS)
Volume: 03, Issue: 01, December 2021

III. SMARTPHONE PROTECTION SECURITY PRACTICES If the bootlaoder is open don’t used the phone. As its EMI
Security is being widely discussed in the field of Number might be change or phone might be stolen. In order to
application development with improving quality for end-to-end check bootlaoder restart the phone and check any sign of
consumer satisfaction at different levels. On the contrary, at warning, in starting stage.
some stages the security requirements typically force barriers to
users (such as passwords or other authentication mechanisms), B. Root Checker
while designers and developer’s effort to minimize their impact It is a method of unlocking an Android device in regulates
on both application performance and user experience [7]. to grant the user privileged control, or root access. It’s a lot like
Figure 6 has depicted the best practice model for smartphone having administrator privileges on a Windows or Linux-based
security and threat protection. OS.

Fig.6. Best practice to protect smart mobile phone.

A lot of users want to root Android smartphones so as to
A. Boot Loader they can put in various third-party apps or conquer certain
The bootloader is the primary activity that starts up when a system limitations, usually put in place by hardware
phone is turned on. Its most basic level, a bootloader is the low- manufacturers and carriers.
level software on the smartphone that keeps you from breach it. o Go to Settings of your phone → tab About Phone →
It is used to make sure and verify the software running on your in that Status Information → Check Device Status.
phone before it loads. Think of it, like a security to your phone.
Whether you’re allowed to unlock your bootloader it depends Official means that the software has not been tampered with
on the manufacturer of your phone, the model you have, and and the device is not rooted. If seeing a custom tag beneath
even your carrier. If you were to try to load software onto the device status typically means that your phone is rooted. The
phone that was not properly signed by the device vendor, the Root Checker app is a third-party app that you can download
bootloader would detect that and refuse to install it on the for free from Google [14] and if this application says your
device. [13] phone is rooted, then its trouble, if this application says it’s not
rooted, then its fine.
ISBN: 9798799755577 www.ijeacs.com 4
Mohammed Abdul Bari et al. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Computer Science (IJEACS)
Volume: 03, Issue: 01, December 2021

C. Accessibility G. Anti-Malware
In Accessibility which we can find in sitting of our mobile, Malware attacks have been rising quickly from last 10
every think should be off. We can’t give permission to any app, years; these attacks targeted all technology device as well as
which uses our Audio or Video without our permission. mobile phones. Due to the behavior of the mobile usage and
the responsive data they might contain, safeguards against
o Go to Sitting → Top Search Accessibility → ones it is malwares, Anti-Malware or Anti-Virus must be installed in our
open, check in that every think should be off. mobile phone, and it should be updated. [16, 21]
D. Device Admin or Device Manager
H. Update Operating System
The steps.
Update mobile operating systems and on-board applications
o Select "Security" from the Settings Menu-Scroll down with safety patches: keeping the operating system (Android and
and tap "Device administrators" Ensure that iOS) and the installed applications up to date is a must. Both
"Android Device Manager" is checked. Google and Apple provide regular updates to users, which
Except find my device, any other app is there, that should resolve recent vulnerabilities or other threats, as well as sharing
be delete it. additional performance and security features [17].
In addition to above point
E. Apps Manager List o Back up your data regularly.
As soon as you have an Android phone, we can’t wait to o Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not needed.
install your favorite apps on it. The apps can be regarding
games, media player, bookstore, social, business. The Android IV. CONCLUSION
App Manager is an Android Management tool which helps to
Security is forever is type of an arms race connecting
administer all apps installed on your Android phone. It can
attackers and defenders. Since the mobile application market is
illustrate you the information about an app, rapidly search any
rising, at the same time, mobile security will carry on bringing
app installed, and offer a detail to tell you the frequently used
an excess of issues to countenance. In other words, security is
apps and unused apps and more.
often a substance of opposite risk and reward, as discussed
Check of unused apps as well trusted apps names which during the World Economic Forum of 2019. The participants
you haven’t used for lengthy time, select that apps and click to came to the wrapping up that the past ten years score only the
uninstall them. [15] start of the worldwide cybersecurity trip. New architectures and
collaboration are still required as we need to stand to face risk
F. Permission Manager at the brink of a new era of cybercrime, which will be
Android apps will request for permission when you empowered by new and developing technology. These four
download some apps. In Permission Manager check how technologies, namely, 5G networks, infrastructure
numerous Apps using your Camera, Contract, Photos, convergence, artificial intelligence, and biometrics, are going to
Locations, Microphone etc. The figure 7 of particular Mobile change the next ten years of global cyber and smart devices
has shown below, deny permission which you don’t want it. security.
Whenever you are using give permission otherwise don’t give.
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Volume: 03, Issue: 01, December 2021

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© 2021 by the author(s); licensee Empirical Research Press Ltd. United Kingdom. This is an open access article
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons by Attribution (CC-BY) license.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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