TM 562: Wireless Devices and Applications

Table of Contents

Introduction 1 Background about Smartphones 1 Defined Smartphone 1 Different applications on a Smartphone 1 Problem Statement 3 Security Risks 3 Analysis 4 Viruses 4 Threats 5 Recommended Solution and Implementation 6 6 6 References 7

Introduction Statement

If you've ever wondered exactly what a smartphone is, well, you're not alone. How is a smartphone different than a cell phone, what makes it so smart, and how secure is the device? Firstly, IBM designed the first smartphone in 1992. It was called Simon. The smartphone was presented that year as a concept device in Las Vegas at the computer industry trade show known as COMDEX. The first cell phone, on the other hand, was demonstrated 19 years before the first smartphone (Wikipedia).
Smartphones are phones that provide a new genre of application than the standard cell phone. They provide phone plus Internet connectivity and storage, text and multimedia, and multi-tasking. In a nutshell, a smartphone is a device that lets you make telephone calls, but also adds in features that you might find on a personal digital assistant or a computer, such as the ability to send and receive e-mail, scheduling and contact management software, edit Office documents, as well as a built-in camera and mp3 capabilities. However, with the access to the Internet the phone is now subjected to more security issues. If a person can hack the phone, it would enable them to have unlimited information about the consumer.
By definition, a smartphone conveniently combines the functions of a GSM mobile phone and handheld computer into a single device. Smartphones have an operating system and local data storage. Having a smartphone is like having a miniature computer that can also place and receive calls. Though there lacks an