This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Mutual recognition of the need to combat handset theft
Significant progress made in short period of time– Agreed technical solutions for first time– Formal reporting process put in placed for first time– Improved communications to educate industry
Initiatives designed to tackle handset theft on a number of fronts
“[Mobile theft] is the dark underbelly of our great success," Craig Ehrlich, chairman of the GSM Association, a mobile industry group, said at the 3GSM World Congress here last week.
"
Wireless: Thieves take noteMonday, March 1, 2004
Cell phone Makers Ally To Combat Handset Theft27 February 2004
CANNES, France -- Seven of the world's biggest mobile-phone makers have agreed to make changes to handset designs to combat soaring rates of wireless-related crime… the GSM Association said Tuesday.
Crackdown on mobile phone theft9 February 2004
Mobile operators and handset makers are to announce a crackdown on mobile theft in a move that will render handsets stolen in one country useless in another…. Under the latest initiative led by the GSM Association, a global industry body for mobile operators, IMEI numbers will be stored on an international register that can be accessed by all global operators running networks on GSM.
• Identifies terminals to support value added services• Facilitates market research on user base• Determines which terminals may be responsible for technical faults• Identifies misuse in fraud detection systems• Used in criminal trials• Critical to the success of EIR
Manufacturers
• Identifies grey market terminals.• Identifies and targets terminals that may need software updates over the network• Allows operators to recall terminals on behalf of manufacturers• Helps introduce special functions to support terminals that may not work correctly.• Discourages theft in their production and delivery processes
Regulators Allows exclusion of non-approved terminals which is a license obligation in some markets• Identifies handsets for lawful interception and criminal prosecution
Consumers• Allows consumers stolen handset checks and upholds integrity of used handset market• Facilitates proof of purchase for warranty purposes
Problem IMEI is fundamental enabler for value-add services IMEI security is indicative of overall level of handset security Security levels provided to date are insufficient Security breaches and weakness are not reported and are
unresolved Operators are ill equipped to identify and report problems
Proposed Solution Establish an outsourced service where GSMA will be provided
with IMEI security reports for distribution to GSMA members and manufacturers
Overall Objective Improve handset security levels by having faults corrected Ensure lessons learned from hacks feeds into future design
Detection of security compromise claims– Proactive identification of claims from public and non-public sources– List of devices submitted to GSMA on monthly basis – IMEI security
and SIM lock Validation of security compromise claims
– Selected handsets notified to Phonesec and the hacking tool is obtained
– Tests conducted on the device to change the IMEI– Detailed report submitted to GSMA for provision to device
manufacturer Evaluation of corrective measures
– Manufacturers propose solutions within 42 days and details are provided to GSMA
– GSMA requests a corrected handset and Phonesec check effectiveness of countermeasures
Service provided by Phonesec – 17 monthly reports received to date– 338 compromised devices reported – 78% attributable to 2 manufacturers– 6 new manufacturers signed up to reporting process this year– Only HTC and Research in Motion have refused to participate
32 validations requested to date– 22 resolved– 21 countermeasures proposed– 10 in progress– No countermeasures evaluated due to budget restrictions
Security levels increasing• 2008/09 saw 17% fewer comprised devices than previous year• Most recent quarter shows 51% decrease on the same period 1 year earlier