CYBERCRIMES: MOBILE AND WIRELESS
INTRODUCTION. Why should mobile devices be protected? Every day, mobile devices are lost,
stolen, and infected. Mobile devices can store important business and personal information, and are
often be used to access University systems, email, banking Proliferation of mobile and wireless
devices: people hunched over their smartphones or tablets in cafes, airports, supermarkets and
even at bus stops, seemingly oblivious to anything or anyone around them. They play games,
download email, go shopping or check their bank balances on the go. They might even access
corporate networks and pull up a document or two on their mobile gadgets Today, incredible
advances are being made for mobile devices. The trend is for smaller devices and more processing
power. A few years ago, the choice was between a wireless phone and a simple PDA. Now the buyers
have a choice between high-end PDAs with integrated wireless modems and small phones with
wireless Web-browsing capabilities. A long list of options is available to the mobile users. A simple
hand-held mobile device provides enough computing power to run small applications, play games
and music, and make voice calls. A key driver for the growth of mobile technology is the rapid growth
of business solutions into hand-held devices. As the term "mobile device" includes many products.
We first provide a clear distinction among the key terms: mobile computing, wireless computing and
hand-held devices. Figure below helps us understand how these terms are related. Let us understand
the concept of mobile computing and the various types of devices.
Mobile computing is "taking a computer and all necessary files and software out into the field."
Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since 1990s. They are as follows: 1. Portable
computer: It is a general-purpose computer that can be easily moved from one place to another, but
cannot be used while in transit, usually because it requires some "setting-up" and an AC power
source. CYBER SECURITY Page 31 2. Tablet PC: It lacks a keyboard, is shaped like a slate or a paper
notebook and has features of a touchscreen with a stylus and handwriting recognition software.
Tablets may not be best suited for applications requiring a physical keyboard for typing, but are
otherwise capable of carrying out most tasks that an ordinary laptop would be able to perform. 3.
Internet tablet: It is the Internet appliance in tablet form. Unlike a Tablet PC, the Internet tablet does
not have much computing power and its applications suite is limited. Also it cannot replace a
general-purpose computer. The Internet tablets typically feature an MP3 and video player, a Web
browser, a chat application and a picture viewer. 4. Personal digital assistant (PDA): It is a small,
usually pocket-sized, computer with limited functionality. It is intended to supplement and
synchronize with a desktop computer, giving access to contacts, address book, notes, E-Mail and
other features. 5. Ultramobile (PC): It is a full-featured, PDA-sized computer running a general-
purpose operating system (OS). 6. Smartphone: It is a PDA with an integrated cell phone
functionality. Current Smartphones have a wide range of features and installable applications. 7.
Carputer: It is a computing device installed in an automobile. It operates as a wireless computer,
sound system, global positioning system (GPS) and DVD player. It also contains word processing
software and is Bluetooth compatible. 8. Fly Fusion Pentop computer: It is a computing device with
the size and shape of a pen. It functions as a writing utensil, MP3 player, language translator, digital
storage device and calculator.
