Find out the week’s top mobile stories from across the web.
This week.. Google pays out $3 million to plug Android security, Facebook may let you chat without Messenger, Mobile industry pushes 5G as EU debates Wi-Fi for connected cars and much more…
Google pays out $3 million to plug Android security
Mobile News
Google last year paid out $3 million through its rewards programmes, which pay cash to people who can spot security vulnerabilities in its apps and products.
This money helped it reduce the proportion of devices using Google Play that are hit by potentially harmful applications (PHAs) to 0.08 per cent. The company’s fifth Android security and privacy review found that eight times more devices were affected by PHAs on devices that installed apps from outside Google Play.
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Facebook may soon let you chat with friends on mobile without Messenger
TNW
Five years ago, Facebook began encouraging users to use its standalone Messenger app to chat with their contacts, instead of using the built-in feature in the social network’s mobile apps. It appears that it’s now looking to bring messaging back to the primary Facebook app experience – which indicates a change in strategy for keeping users engaged on the platform
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Mobile industry pushes 5G as EU debates Wi-Fi standard for connected cars
Tech Radar
The mobile industry and some governments are pushing the European Commission to reject proposals that would enshrine Wi-Fi as the industry standard for connected cars.
The EU believes connected cars will make roads safer and vehicles more efficient but is concerned about the lack of cooperation within the industry.
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Massive SIM swap fraud leaves traditional 2FA users at risk
SC Magazine
As two-factor authentication becomes more popular, threat actors have proven once again how this security feature can be exploited if not implemented properly.
Kaspersky researchers uncovered large-scale SIM swap fraud operations targeting users in both the Portugese-speaking nations of Brazil and Mozambique were able to use social engineering, bribery, and simple phishing attacks to ultimately steal money from victims.
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Fashion retailers see 37 percent YoY jump in mobile sales
Fashion United
The last Optimove Retail Pulse reveals that fashion retailers globally saw a 37 percent year-on-year increase in mobile shopping (2017 vs 2018.)
In December 2018 alone, fashion merchants enjoyed a 55 percent YoY increase of mobile orders. Equally on the rise is are average order values for fashion merchants. To this point, Optimove’s data shows that the highest average order values for fashion retailers is in September with a 127 dollars average vs December when the average value drops to 94 dollars.
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Chinese Thieves Exploit Facial Recognition Mobile Payment System to Steal
Epoch Times
A Chinese man recently had his money stolen from his bank account after his roommates scanned his face while he was asleep to make online payments with the facial recognition function. The incident once again raised security concerns regarding biometrics-based technologies.
According to an April 8 report by Chinese media Chengdu Economic Daily, a busboy surnamed Yuan lived with two roommates in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. Recently, when he checked the balance in his bank account, he was shocked to discover that there was only 0.59 yuan (about $0.09) when he allegedly had about 12,000 yuan ($1,787) in the account. He reported the theft to local police immediately.
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How Mobile Apps are Changing the Way We Communicate with Customers
Business2community
Imagine you’re throwing a gala party. Every guest is your customer. The onus is upon you to treat the guests with utmost hospitality, for which you have to talk to them the right way, provide them with all the comforts that you can and make them feel right at home. Because proper communication is what leads to the better customer experience.
Thanks to mobile apps, the lounge of customer service are now well-decked and well-equipped than ever before. Now it is easier to talk to your customers. All it takes is a few taps, flow gestures or voice commands to keep in touch and grow the relationship.
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Three team up with Callsign to improve fraud detection
Choose
Callsign are helping Three target SIM-swap fraud and call-divert fraud, two methods increasingly used by criminals to gain access to customers’ data.
The partnership aims to intercept suspect triggers before criminals can steal from a customer or impersonate them. Three say that this is the first such partnership in the mobile industry to use Callsign’s protection technology to assist its customers.
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Privacy ‘Poisoning’ Cyberattacks Pose Risk to Blockchain
Government Technology
A new type of cyberattack that can render blockchain technology unusable may become a major headache for organizations that depend on it.
Known as privacy “poisoning,” the attack involves loading private data, such as names, addresses and credit card numbers, or illegal material, such as child pornography, into a blockchain, therefore putting the network in conflict with local laws. The result is that the affected chain with all of its contained data cannot be used unless expensive and time-consuming steps are taken.
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