Mozilla has revealed an ongoing scheme to provide security to users of its mobile
operating system Firefox
OS.
operating system Firefox
OS.
The open source
organisation has been working with mobile operator Deutsche Telekom for the past year on the Future
of Mobile Privacy project, developing new features to roll out within updates of Firefox OS in the
coming years.
organisation has been working with mobile operator Deutsche Telekom for the past year on the Future
of Mobile Privacy project, developing new features to roll out within updates of Firefox OS in the
coming years.
“We have been working with our partners at Deutsche
Telekom for the past year, thinking about what are the concerns of the basic user and the
advanced user as it relates to mobile privacy and security,” said Alex Fowler, global privacy and
public policy leader at Mozilla.
Telekom for the past year, thinking about what are the concerns of the basic user and the
advanced user as it relates to mobile privacy and security,” said Alex Fowler, global privacy and
public policy leader at Mozilla.
“This all began before the Edward Snowden revelations but it was good timing in that
in a sense it has increased the relevance of the topic significantly.”
in a sense it has increased the relevance of the topic significantly.”
The project is focused on the emerging markets – the main target audience of the
Firefox OS – and through user groups and customer research, Mozilla discovered while data security
and government hacking was a concern, there were still other priorities within the regions.
Firefox OS – and through user groups and customer research, Mozilla discovered while data security
and government hacking was a concern, there were still other priorities within the regions.
“Those types of questions about government
access to network communications wasn’t as prevalent when we first started the project,” said
Fowler. “They were there but not the main thrust of the conversation. Now it is part of every
conversation but it is still not the thing your first time user of a smartphone is most anxious
about.”
access to network communications wasn’t as prevalent when we first started the project,” said
Fowler. “They were there but not the main thrust of the conversation. Now it is part of every
conversation but it is still not the thing your first time user of a smartphone is most anxious
about.”
More on Firefox
“What we found in countries like Brazil and those in South East Asia is that theft and
loss of device is still one of the most prevalent concerns. If this is your primary mode of
accessing the internet and it has all of your personal data on it, the experience becomes one of
deep worry when you lose it or have it stolen.”
loss of device is still one of the most prevalent concerns. If this is your primary mode of
accessing the internet and it has all of your personal data on it, the experience becomes one of
deep worry when you lose it or have it stolen.”
As a result, Firefox is rolling out remote wipe capabilities into its OS either in its
next release or the consequential one, though Fowler promised it by the end of the year.
next release or the consequential one, though Fowler promised it by the end of the year.
“The other thing is sharing devices between friends and family members,” he said. “One
of the concerns is that if this is your primary mode of communication, with just the touch of an
app you can see all their email communications, text messages, the pictures taken and that is very
personal and very unique to that individual.”
of the concerns is that if this is your primary mode of communication, with just the touch of an
app you can see all their email communications, text messages, the pictures taken and that is very
personal and very unique to that individual.”
“So sharing becomes a little bit of an anxiety producing experience depending on what
apps you have got. Even the apps you have installed can say something to the person you are handing
it to.”
apps you have got. Even the apps you have installed can say something to the person you are handing
it to.”
In response to this, Mozilla has designed a way to lock the device and offer guest
access to apps predefined by the user with a green light to allow anyone to use them. All other
apps will remain behind a password protected wall until the primary user changes the settings.
access to apps predefined by the user with a green light to allow anyone to use them. All other
apps will remain behind a password protected wall until the primary user changes the settings.
While he Future of Mobile Privacy project has been running for a year, Fowler promised
it would be ongoing and hoped many more people within the industry will get involved.
it would be ongoing and hoped many more people within the industry will get involved.
“What we are announcing is that this is an official Mozilla project,” he said. “All
the work that Deutsche Telekom and their engineers have put into this will go into the overall open
source project – none of this is proprietary so other carriers and manufacturers can bring this to
their products.”
the work that Deutsche Telekom and their engineers have put into this will go into the overall open
source project – none of this is proprietary so other carriers and manufacturers can bring this to
their products.”
“We are also going to be calling on the privacy and security community to start
dreaming up what they think are exciting features and services, and we want to prototype and make
those part of future releases as well.”
dreaming up what they think are exciting features and services, and we want to prototype and make
those part of future releases as well.”
