Cybersafety and Cybersecurity  

Key Points:

• Today's wireless industry ecosystem is dramatically different from what it was only five years ago. A wealth of new players and technologies is now the industry hallmark. In order to protect the entire wireless industry from cybercriminals, all of the players – network operators, device manufacturers and application/content developers – must work together. When you add the number of companies, along with the more open and diverse mobile industry, cybersecurity is more challenging.
• The wireless industry is working 24/7 to protect its customers and networks from cybercriminals. Cybersecurity is extremely important and complex since cybercriminals constantly change and evolve to create new problems for consumers and network operators. In order to have the best defense, it's important the smartest people, regardless of their employer (e.g., private company, government, academia, etc), can alert others to potential problems/threats and develop collaborative solutions. That's why CTIA continues to advocate for Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (H.R. 3523).
• While the wireless industry continues to actively invest in solutions to protect its customers and networks from cybercriminals, consumers play an important role in cybersecurity. To help consumers proactively protect themselves and their data, CTIA and its member companies have developed 11 simple tips that use "cybersafety" as an acronym .

The wireless industry has a strong legacy of security. Today, our members offer a wealth of alternatives from password protections to sophisticated encryption schemes and protections to mitigate malware and SPAM. While there are news stories about cyberthreats on a weekly basis, it's important that policymakers and consumers recognize three key points.

One: The wireless ecosystem has grown. When the wireless industry started in 1984, there were mobile networks and device manufacturers. People only made voice calls. When the mobile ecosystem was simpler, the "inevitable problems" of information security (i.e. cybersecurity meaning data protection from unauthorized access) were much simpler for the industry to address.

Today, the number and variety of companies in the wireless ecosystem have grown dramatically to include operating systems (e.g., Android, iOS, RIM, Symbian, Windows, etc.), OEMs, application stores and application/content developers (including OTT). While this has meant that consumers have a plethora of choices, cybersecurity becomes more challenging since the wireless industry is more open and much more diverse.

Two: While our members are doing everything they can to protect their infrastructure and consumers, they also need to be able to communicate with their competitors, federal government agencies, academia and subject matter experts to identify potential issues and create solutions BEFORE there is a problem. That's why we, along with a number of other tech companies and associations, support Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (H.R. 3523). This bill was already passed by the House of Representatives and we need the U.S. Senate to move quickly.

We don't have time to waste because cybercriminals and hackers are moving fast. According to a report from Juniper Networks Mobile Threat Center , 8,608 new mobile malware samples were found from January-March 2012. The report states that this is a 30 percent increase of all known malware. In addition, there is rapid growth in spyware designed to steal sensitive personal, financial and work information from mobile devices. In fact, Juniper says the total number of spyware samples more than doubled in the first quarter of 2012 alone. In order to counterbalance the growing threat the ecosystem players must work collaboratively to stem the rising tide.

Three: CTIA's members, throughout the wireless ecosystem, are doing everything they can to protect their infrastructure and their customers, but consumers must take some simple steps to protect themselves too. According to a recent survey from Mobilisafe, 56 percent of iOS (Apple) devices were running outdated firmware. A similar statistic was highlighted for Windows and Android operating systems. As we've learned from the PC industry, software updates that address vulnerabilities are critical to good "cybersecurity hygiene." By simply applying firmware updates, consumers can dramatically reduce their exposure to known vulnerabilities. Beyond firmware updates, consumers should use passwords to lock and protect their devices. To help consumers proactively protect themselves and their data, CTIA and its member companies have developed 11 simple tips that use "cybersafety" as an acronym .

As Americans continue to rely on wireless as their sole or primary means for communications, everyone has a responsibility and a role to play to protecting our information, our devices and our networks.

Last Updated: September 2012