Virtua Team Talk

We are getting used to the idea of using mobile phones for almost everything these days. The device that not so long ago was just used for cordless telephone calls has now become our portable diary, alarm clock, filofax, GPS, music player and much more.

When we go shopping though, we traditionally turn to our trusty credit card or cheque book to pay for goods and services. But all that looks about to change.

‘Everything Everywhere’ (the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK) is about to roll out a new ‘mobile payments service’ in partnership with Barclaycard that is set to change the way we think about financial transactions. Some analysts believe it will be the biggest revolution in payments since credit cards were introduced over 40 years ago.  (It was reported recently that Apple were looking to compete with Paypal as a payment mechanism through iTunes accounts but this hasn’t transpired yet.)

A spokesman for the new innovation, which is due to be released by the Summer of 2011, claimed that “very soon using your mobile to buy a ticket for a show, a coffee and a sandwich or a magazine will soon be the norm.”

Not only will mobiles become payment systems but at specific retail outlets customers will be able to pay for goods and services just by waving their mobile phone against a ‘contactless reader’.

In Turkey a similar initiative is already in use that was developed for iPhone users by a company called Wireless Dynamics. To use the service iPhone users simply attach a Wireless Dynamics ‘iCart’ accessory to the iPhone handset to download an app that enables the payment system to work. Once the Visa based mobile card is activated users simply launch the app and touch their iPhone onto the point-of-sale reader without any need to enter a PIN number.

Now that a number of security based teething problems have been resolved the new ‘credit card mobile phone’ seems set to revolutionise the way we think of ‘money’. For die-hard traditionalists this might seem like a step too far but for the younger generation it is probably just another step towards the so-called ‘cashless’ generation. Whether you support the idea or not this way of doing business is likely to become the norm over the next few years as pounds and pennies disappear into antiquity. Next time someone asks if you can lend them a fiver you will simply tap your phones together, say ‘cheers’ and five pounds will seamlessly leave your account and credit theirs.

True, it will be sad to hear the death knell of jangly coins. One day we will point to coins in a museum cabinet and tell our grandchildren “We used to carry those around in our pocket once upon a time…”

If you listen to the News you can’t fail to have been aware of the recent media focus on the alleged methods used by some News of the World journalists to listen to private voicemails. Without doubt it has turned the spotlight firmly on the question of mobile security. But how easy is it to actually hack into a handset?

“It depends on how much money, time and effort you want to put into it” said Nigel Stanley, a mobile security analyst at Bloor Research. According to Mr Stanley the number of ways to get at information held on handsets is growing.

It is has been reported that the journalists have illegally listened to voicemail messages – but changes introduced by UK network operators in recent months have certainly made it harder for anyone but the correct customer to listen to those messages.

It is murky territory. Some analysts, for example, are questioning whether the use of default pin codes to get at voicemail accounts could actually be considered as ‘hacking’. Others believe that the declining use of voicemail is making it a less tempting target and tapping into texts is a far trickier option. This is because it would require utilising a separate device architecture that the operators run to manage text messages.

This means that if someone is intent on handset hacking then it requires installing software on a device – either by getting physical access to the mobile, tricking its owner into downloading a booby-trapped application or making them access a specific page that inserts malware onto the device.

Commercial software, known as spyware, is available that can take copies of everything on a phone, log its location and switch on any of its components – all without revealing its presence on a handset! In effect the software could turn the telephone into an audio bug!

For anyone intent on hacking the hard part is getting hold of a device for a few minutes to load the software. Another potential method is to send an e-mail that contains a link to a website that looks benign but, in the background, is installing spyware. Similarly, bugs in the Bluetooth short-range radio technology, common on many smartphones, could also mean that information about a handset could be “sniffed” from only a few metres away.

The latest smartphones can certainly ‘leak’ information about their owners in a way that can be hard to control. Anyone sending tweets via their phone could be revealing their location and some of the apps that can now be loaded on phones report where in the world they are located at that moment.

Obviously it is illegal to carry out surveillance as the prison sentences handed down to the News of the World journalists shows. Undoubtedly though, mobiles are likely to become more tempting for attackers as people do more things with them. Getting hold of the data on a handset could potentially unlock access to intimate details such as Facebook accounts, photos, private e-mails, instant messages, videos etc. Today more and more people live their lives through their phone which in many cases is more relevant and personal than a computer.

The bottom line is that as mobile technology continues to develop so the need to stay one step ahead of the hackers becomes more important. We might never be able to stop crimes like hacking but our job as responsible phone network experts is to do everything we can to continually outsmart those with malicious intent.

At Virtua we are always conscious that the work we do for our clients ultimately leads to thousands of people being able to use their phones for both business and leisure in a way that enhances their lives. And we are proud to be able to offer such a service that benefits so many people.

But we are also acutely aware that the criminal fraternity are always there to try and thwart or disrupt honest law abiding citizens by using phones for criminal purposes. Now, at last, the government has got together with the police and mobile phone companies to make it more difficult for thieves to sell stolen handsets. For example, a recent news feature reported that multiple thefts of phones at UK music events had more than tripled since 2006, with some thieves being caught with up to 20 handsets which often end up abroad to avoid ‘UK blocking.’

Organised gangs currently sell around 100,000 ‘recycled’ mobiles each year, pocketing about £40 a time. The phones usually end up abroad because they will still work in other countries, despite any block on UK use. Now though phone recycling companies can check if a handset they are offered is on a stolen ‘blacklist’. And, if it is, they will refuse to purchase the phone and pass the details onto the police.

The National Mobile Phone Register is linked to three databases – an industry record of blocked handsets, the police list of stolen mobiles and a voluntary public register. The code of practice is voluntary but so far around twenty  recycling companies, making up 90% of the industry, have signed up which is really good news.

The Chairman of the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum, Jack Wraith said: “If phones are found to be blocked, and they’re obviously blocked because they’re not in the possession of their rightful owner, then the database will flag up to the recycler that the phone cannot be traded.”

Nick Brown, who runs recycling company Envirophone.com, added that he hoped the new agreement would deter potential thieves: “If the people stealing mobile phones understand there isn’t a viable route to be able to sell those phones easily, then they are less likely to steal them in the first place.”

Mobile phone recycling companies who have signed up so far include Mazuma Mobile, Mobile Phone Exchange, Royal Mail, West One Technology, Carphone Warehouse and Virgin Media.

This is excellent news. These days losing your mobile phone is like using a laptop full of critical information. The more that we can do to thwart criminals the better and it is by using the power of technology to identify the perpetrators that great strides forward are being made.

Anyone who knows the three Virtua directors, Rob Brown, Brian Watt and myself, Andy Watts, will know how passionate we all are about our cycling. That’s why we were all so interested this week to hear that Nokia has just released a mobile phone charging kit that uses a dynamo powered by a bicycle’s wheels.

According to Nokia any cyclist wanting to re-charge their handset using the kit will need to maintain a speed of about 4mph (6km/h). The charging kit is primarily intended for nations where bicycles are the most common form of transport but it will work with any phone using a 2mm charger jack.

Alex Lambeek the Nokia Vice President stated that. “Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing”

The phone charging times will vary by speed but a cyclist completing a 10 minute journey at 6mph (10 km/h) will produce enough power for 28 minutes of talk time or 37 hours of standby time. Also included in the kit along with the dynamo is a holder to secure a phone to a bicycle while it is being re-charged.

For us three cycling fanatics though, 4mph or 6mph is not what we would call cycling. Our 15-20 mile commute to work at over 20mph would give a good charge for phone calls for the whole day!

The charging kit will be available through Nokia’s stores worldwide by the end of 2010 and will cost about £12.50 (15 Euros). The phones have been designed for developing nations and in particular for places where the electricity supply is limited.

Personally I think this is a great idea and the ideal way to use dynamo power whilst enjoying a good work out at the same time. It’s also not just the perfect solution for cyclists in countries where the electricity supply is unreliable but also for anyone wanting to combine a little exercise with the opportunity to get their mobile charged up.

So the next time one of my work colleagues or fellow directors calls across the office –“Hey Andy – can I borrow your phone charger?” they can be very sure of my answer:

“On your bike!”