Mobile Security Solutions

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reinvigorating a SIM swap detection platform we originally designed and built at Tagomi (Acquired by Coinbase, now CB Prime). The underlying concept was to safeguard customer accounts—especially those reliant on SMS-based MFA—by identifying whether a phone number had undergone a SIM swapping attack. This system was designed to be an early indicator of compromised accounts, even if users were using phishing-resistant MFA on our platform. We worked closely with well known mobile network security researchers, mobile virtual network operators, and other industry intelligence sharing groups. Our goal was to ensure the solution propagated rapidly and comprehensively across the industry, given the seriousness of SIM swapping attacks. SIM swapping remains a relatively cheap yet highly effective way to circumvent MFA, especially for high-value targets. While SMS-based MFA continues to be common for banks, investment accounts, and other critical financial platforms, it is also one of the most vulnerable methods of second-factor authentication. What is a SIM swap? A SIM swap occurs when a mobile network operator (MNO) reassigns a phone number to a new IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), whether for legitimate reasons (changing carriers, upgrading devices) or malicious purposes (intercepting SMS messages). Detection mechanism: By comparing the IMSI used during previous account activity with the current IMSI, we can identify a SIM swap event. At that point, service providers can apply stricter controls, such as restricting high-risk transactions or forcing more secure authentication flows. Implementation Challenges: TMSIs (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identities) are insufficient for detection due to their short-lived nature. Accessing IMSI information directly has become more difficult over time, largely due to expanded "privacy" concerns that limit how carriers share network-level data. Industry Solutions: Twilio integrated this idea into a commercial API, partnering with carriers that support "SIM swap status checks". Other commercial providers like Vonage have launched similar services. These solutions are valuable, but not foolproof: If a phone number is transferred to a carrier that does not support these "SIM swap status checks", commercial API providers and service providers lose visibility. Additionally, carriers strictly control historical IMSI change logs for "privacy" reasons, preventing service providers from conducting deeper investigations or retrospective analysis. While HLR (Home Location Register) and VLR (Visitor Location Register) lookups can still yield some actionable data, true SIM swap prevention/detection will require architecture improvements at the carrier level and SS7 routing attacks will require network level architecture improvements.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 & 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮🔐 Your mobile device is a goldmine of sensitive information—here’s how to keep it secure on the go! 🛡️ Mobile devices store everything from personal data to business information, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲: 👉 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Only grant apps access to what they need. Limit permissions to sensitive areas like your location, camera, and microphone. 👉 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲: Mobile antivirus can detect malicious apps and protect against phishing attacks. 👉 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗪𝗶-𝗙𝗶 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Public Wi-Fi networks can expose you to data theft. For sensitive activities like banking, stick to your cellular network or use a VPN. 👉 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰: Be cautious of nearby cameras, especially in shopping malls or crowded areas where prying eyes could capture sensitive data. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 👉 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗠𝗗𝗠): MDM allows companies to manage and secure devices remotely, including the ability to wipe data if a device is lost or stolen. 👉 𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: With MDM, businesses can quickly erase sensitive data if a device is compromised. Keeping mobile devices secure is crucial to protecting both personal and business data. Taking these simple steps ensures your information stays safe wherever you go! #CyberSecurity #MobileSecurity #MDM #DataProtection #StaySafe

>> Enhancing Government Security: Apple Indigo & BlackBerry UEM Partnership   In today’s fast-paced digital world, the stakes for securing sensitive information are higher than ever, especially within government agencies. Enter Apple Indigo, a robust security solution with certification-ID by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), designed specifically for Apple iOS devices like iPhones and iPads used in high-security government environments. This solution, coupled with BlackBerry's Unified Endpoint Management (UEM), presents an unprecedented level of security without sacrificing user experience. 🔍  What makes Apple Indigo & BlackBerry UEM so revolutionary? 1️⃣ High Security, Zero Specialized Hardware: Apple Indigo allows organizations to leverage standard Apple devices while meeting strict security demands up to VS-NfD (for official use only). 2️⃣ Streamlined Administration: With BlackBerry UEM’s approach, sensitive data is safeguarded on both corporate and personal devices. Its architecture, requiring only outbound firewall ports, simplifies secure installation. 3️⃣ Seamless Integration: The Apple ecosystem—including Mail, Calendar, and Contacts apps—can be securely used for official communication, eliminating the need for extra hardware or complex setups. 4️⃣ Comprehensive Solutions in One Place: BlackBerry’s expertise in secure mobile solutions, combined with Apple’s devices, offers a one-stop-shop for high-security mobile work requirements. 5️⃣ Expanding Use Cases beyond Apple Indigo: Using BlackBerry’s MDM solution for other brighsite deployments, e.g. SecuSUITE for Samsung Knox    💡 Why This Matters: In an era where data breaches can impact national security, solutions like Apple Indigo & BlackBerry UEM provide organizations with high security, usability, and ease of management.   📢  Ready to learn more? Explore how this innovative solution can empower secure communication in high-stakes environments.   🔗 Indigo Webpage: https://lmy.de/uFFiw   🔗 Nehmen Sie an diesem deutschen Webcast teil, um weitere Einzelheiten zu erfahren: https://lmy.de/uqvQB   ❓ Thought-provoking question: How are you preparing your organization for the growing demands of digital security in today’s unpredictable landscape? #GovernmentSecurity #CyberSecuritySolutions #MobileSecurity #AppleIndigo #BlackBerryUEM

Phone theft is a big and growing problem.  It used to be about stealing the phone itself – but now it is more about stealing the phone to get access to all the important data (like your bank account, passwords, and more) While visiting the team in Brazil last year I heard from local Googlers that people had been getting really good at grabbing your phone while it’s unlocked, in your hands. The perpetrators move quickly to open the camera app (so your phone won’t lock itself), then go through all your apps resetting passwords, using NFC payments around town and causing mayhem.  After talking to a lot of people during that trip, including local law enforcement, I connected with the team back at home to ask how we could help solve this problem.  Just eight months later, incredibly, the team had built a robust set of proactive security features that can help keep your devices and data more secure: * Theft Detection Lock: Uses signals like accelerometer data to sense if someone has grabbed your phone and tries to run (or drive or bike) away.  * Remote Lock: Lets you lock your phone from any other device using your phone number and a simple security check.  * New authentication requirements in Android 15 for commonly targeted settings, like removing the SIM or disabling Find My Device. After multiple failed auth attempts, your device will lock down. That's pretty cool! We’re committed to creating a more secure experience on Android, and features like this are helping us get there. If you want to learn more, check out this Made by Google podcast episode:  https://lnkd.in/gks5J7py Huge thanks to the team for making this update possible!

📱💣 MOBILE PENETRATION TESTING HANDBOOK Complete Guide for Modern App Security 🧠🔐 Think mobile apps are “secure by design”? Think again. This 80+ page PDF is a field-tested manual for breaking, analyzing, and securing Android and iOS apps the same techniques used by red teams, bug bounty hunters, and MDM auditors worldwide. 📘 Inside the Guide: 🔍 1. Mobile App Threat Landscape From insecure data storage to reverse engineering real-world attack vectors mapped to OWASP MASVS. 💥 2. Android Penetration Testing • APK decompilation (apktool, JADX) • Activity hijacking & manifest abuse • Root detection bypasses & Frida hooks • Data leakage through exported components 🍏 3. iOS Penetration Testing • IPA unpacking & class-dump analysis • Keychain extraction & binary patching • Jailbreak detection bypasses • Cycript, Objection & Frida for dynamic testing 🔑 4. Network & API Testing • Burp Suite mobile proxy configs • SSL pinning bypass (Objection, Frida) • Mobile MITM workflow & traffic interception 🧠 5. Reversing & Exploitation • Smali modification • Runtime injection with Frida scripts • Anti-debugging & code obfuscation techniques 📋 6. Secure Coding & Hardening • Preventing code tampering • Encryption best practices for local data • Android Keystore & iOS Secure Enclave usage 🧩 Perfect for: ✅ Red Teamers & AppSec Engineers ✅ Bug Bounty Hunters ✅ SOC Analysts expanding into Mobile IR ✅ Developers serious about building secure apps 📥 Want the full PDF? Comment “MOBILEPENTEST” or DM me I’ll share it directly. 💬 Question: What’s the most underrated mobile security misconfiguration you’ve encountered in the wild? Let’s crowdsource real stories below 👇 #MobileSecurity #AppSec #PenetrationTesting #RedTeam #BugBounty #AndroidSecurity #iOSSecurity #Frida #BurpSuite #ReverseEngineering #MASVS #OWASP #SecureCoding #DevSecOps #CyberSecurity #EthicalHacking #SecurityTesting #InfoSec #SecurityAwareness #CTF #SecurityResearch

𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘆𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟮𝗙𝗔) It's true that while two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a crucial layer of security, determined hackers have found ways to circumvent it. Understanding these methods is key to strengthening your defenses. Here's a breakdown: 🚨 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝘆𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 #𝟮𝗙𝗔: 1️⃣   #𝗣𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀: Hackers create fake login pages that mimic legitimate websites. When you enter your credentials and 2FA code, they capture it. 2️⃣   𝗦𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴: Attackers convince your #mobile carrier to transfer your phone number to their #SIM card. This allows them to receive your SMS-based 2FA codes. 3️⃣   𝗠𝗮𝗻-𝗶𝗻-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 (#𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗠) 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀: Hackers intercept communication between you and the website, capturing your login credentials and 2FA codes in real-time. 4️⃣   𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: #Hackers manipulate you into giving away your 2FA codes or other sensitive information by posing as a trusted entity. 5️⃣   𝗠𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲: #Malware can be used to steal session cookies, or to intercept the 2FA codes directly from your device. 6️⃣   𝗢𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Attackers create malicious applications that when granted permission, gain access to your accounts. 7️⃣   𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: In some cases, 2FA might not be enforced during password reset processes, allowing hackers to bypass it. 💡 👉 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 🔐 ✔️   𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀: Prefer authenticator apps (like Google Authenticator or Authy) over SMS-based 2FA. ✔️   𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀: Use strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. A password manager can help you generate and store them securely. ✔️   𝗕𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Carefully examine emails, messages, and websites for suspicious activity. Don't click on links from unknown sources. ✔️   𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘀: Consider using hardware security keys (like YubiKeys). ✔️   𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱: Regularly update your operating system, browser, and apps to patch security vulnerabilities. ✔️   𝗕𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Be cautious about sharing personal information, especially 2FA codes. Verify the identity of anyone requesting sensitive data. ✔️   𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱: Contact your phone provider to add extra security to your sim card, to prevent sim swapping. ✔️   𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: Avoid using public wifi when accessing sensitive accounts. By staying informed and taking proactive measures, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to 2FA bypass attacks. Source: https://lnkd.in/d_VjaVvS

The world’s become more mobile-centric. Companies that use #GoogleWorkspace depend on workers accessing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and chats from mobile devices to get work done. One #cloudnative company needed their Google Workspace instance accessible to mobile devices but also wanted training on the native #mobiledevicemanagement capabilities of Google Workspace. SADA, An Insight company was enlisted to provide six workshops to the company on the best practices for Mobile Device Management within Google Workspace. First, the company desired a #securityassessment of their implementation to ensure the security posture was up to date with best practices. SADA understood the importance of ensuring the security of the company’s Google Workspace tenant. That’s because over time security policies, standards, and technical challenges evolve, so the security posture of each business should be reviewed regularly for risk analysis and mitigation.  The security assessment and review provided recommendations to harden the company’s security posture. SADA identified the settings and processes to meet the company’s security requirements.  SADA’s workshops provided insight and best practices, with customer input, to understand organizational context/policies. Workshops covered:   • Mail settings and DNS  • Sharing policies for data loss prevention (DLP) • Identity/authentication controls (e.g., SSO, MFA, OAuth) • Endpoint management  • Groups management • Ongoing administration covering admin roles, audits, etc. The customer achieved significant results after working with SADA including: • Enhanced data security, streamlined compliance, and improved operational efficiency • Automated policy management and audit trails that simplify compliance with data regulations • Dynamic policy enforcement to enable faster data access and analysis • Cost savings from automation and reduced need for custom data security solutions #SADAservices

If you don't pay for your security, someone else will. There's a bustling marketplace where companies pay millions for vulnerabilities in mobile apps. Companies like Zerodium pay anywhere from $15,000 to $1.5M for mobile exploits, depending on the severity and platform. They buy zero-day vulnerabilities from researchers. Then, they resell them to governments and intelligence agencies. The math is simple: if your app has vulnerabilities, someone will find them. The question is whether you'll discover them first through proper security testing or if they'll end up in the hands of exploit brokers. Three facts from the exploit market: 1. The same vulnerability that costs you $24K/year (with Oversecured) to prevent with automated scanning could sell for $100K+ on the exploit market 2. Mobile apps from Fortune 500 companies regularly appear in these marketplaces 3. Once an exploit is sold, you have no control over who uses it or how Your competitors in the exploit market aren't other businesses. They're nation-states, intelligence agencies, and criminal organizations with stronger incentives to find your vulnerabilities than you have to secure them. What you can do: Find vulnerabilities before they do. Use the full spectrum of security approaches: open-source scanners for basic coverage or automated tools for rapid detection, manual pentests for complex vulnerabilities, and bug bounty programs to leverage the ethical hacker community. Each method has its strengths - combine them for comprehensive coverage. I’ll dive deeper in the next posts. The choice is yours: pay for proactive security testing, or let someone else profit from your vulnerabilities. P.S. During my bug bounty career, I've seen firsthand how valuable mobile app vulnerabilities are to various buyers. The market exists whether you acknowledge it or not.

Brownsville's IT Department is at the forefront of Mobile Security & Cyber Awareness! Our dedicated IT team in Brownsville takes pride in ensuring the security of our mobile devices and educating users (JP Villarreal) on cybersecurity risks. Key Tips from Our IT Experts: - **Strong Passwords & Biometrics:** Utilize complex passwords and biometric locks for enhanced security. - **Regular Updates:** Keep your software up to date to shield against vulnerabilities. - **Security Apps:** Install reputable antivirus and anti-malware applications. - **Data Encryption:** Safeguard sensitive data through encryption. - **Secure Wi-Fi:** Opt for secure networks over public Wi-Fi, consider VPNs for added protection. Understanding the Importance of Cybersecurity Training: - **Phishing Awareness:** Learn to identify and steer clear of phishing scams. - **Safe Browsing:** Stick to secure websites and exercise caution with downloads. - **Continuous Learning:** Stay informed about the latest threats and security best practices. The Role of Our IT Department: - **Proactive Protection:** Swiftly monitor and respond to potential threats. - **Policy Enforcement:** Ensure adherence to security protocols. - **Support:** Offer immediate assistance for any security concerns. We're curious: How does your organization prioritize mobile device security and cybersecurity awareness? Join the conversation by sharing your insights and experiences in the comments below! If you found these tips valuable. Let's collaborate to create a safer digital environment! 🚀🔒 #BrownsvillePride #Cybersecurity #MobileSecurity #ITSupport #StaySafeOnline