The impact of mobile devices on Cyber Security - Research Proposal Example

The impact of mobile devices on Cyber Security The impact of mobile devices on Cyber Security Research Question How the mobile devices influence the Cyber Security and at what level? 2. Nature of the topic The specific topic is related to two key disciplines. Primarily, reference should be made to the relationship between the topic and Information Technology. The topic can be also related to the Criminal Justice in the following way: the violation of Cyber Security has a series of legal consequences for the violator. The proposed study reveals the potential interaction between mobile devices and Cyber Security. In this way, authorities can check whether the terms of the law, for punishing the individual who initiated such violation. At the same time, IT developers can be informed on the effects of mobile devices on Cyber Security and promote appropriate solutions for securing the safety of information exchanged through the Internet. It should be noted that the proposed study is not a technical paper. Even if certain technical aspects of Cyber Security are presented, the aim of the study is not to show the technical characteristics of mobile devices but rather to show the interaction between mobile devices and Cyber Security, as the above relationship can impact Cyber Security, even temporarily. 3. Value of the topic The proposed topic has been developed in the context of a research developed in regard to Cyber Security. As an aspect of the IT discipline, Cyber Security is highly analyzed through existing literature. However, the relationship between the Cyber Security and the mobile devices has not been adequately explored. Indeed, the review of relevant literature revealed that not all aspects of Cyber Security have been explored in the context of academic research. In addition, the popularity of mobile devices has been highly increased today, especially due to the radical development of technology on with these mobile devices are based. From this point of view, the proposed topic is considered as quite valuable, offering important information in regard to the relationship between Cyber Security and the mobile devices that have become quite popular. Another aspect of the study’s value is the following one: in the context of the research developed for this study the literature developed in this field is carefully reviewed; academic studies have been identified and analyzed as of their impact on Cyber Security. This task is quite important due to the uniqueness of the study. Indeed, the review of relevant literature has led to the assumption that there is no study with similar topic, a fact that increases the firm’s value for supporting the academic research in regard to Cyber Security. In addition, the proposed study serves an important need: the need for identifying current material related to Cyber Security and mobile devices. Because of the rapid development of technology the monitoring of advances related to Cyber Security can be quite difficult. The paper can cover this gap providing access to valuable material related to Cyber Security and its relationship to mobile devices. 4. Plan of the research project The research project will be developed in four phases. First, the material available for covering the issues set in the paper will be identified and checked as of its characteristics, for example, date of publication, availability or not of empirical findings etc. Then, the material will be studied and evaluated; the points of each study that are related to this study’s research question will be identified. The third phase of the project refers to the development of the study’s text. The study will be divided into sections according to the themes covered, aiming to secure the flow of the text. Finally, the text of the study will be checked as of its effectiveness in explaining the issues set through the proposed study. In other words, the last phase of the project refers to the project’s review, as of the organization of its material, the flow of text and the presentation of findings. 5. Research method In terms of the type of research used in this project, the following clarifications should be made: the proposed study will be based on qualitative research, rather than the quantitative research. The key reason for this practice is the following one: the quantitative research is limited to the presentation and analysis of data, as indispensable parts of the research project involved. However, in the proposed study emphasis has been made on the potential involvement of humans in the explanation of the relationship between the Cyber Security and mobile devices. Quantitative data, where available, are welcomed but they are not used as solely resource since they do not allow the identification of the personal perceptions of individuals in regard to the issues discussed in a particular research project. The qualitative research developed for this project has the following form: a series of studies published in the academic literature has been reviewed and their findings are critically presented, as related to the study’s subject. In other words, the review of the literature related to the research question is the research method on which the proposed study is based. 6. Resources As noted above, the proposed study will be based on qualitative research. The literature developed in this field has been reviewed. Ten (10) academic studies have been chosen, at a first place, in order to respond to this paper’s research question. The retrieval of these studies has been based on the following criterion: each of the studies chosen focuses on different aspects of Cyber Security, as related to mobile devices. In this way, the need of the study for exploring all issues stated through the research question is covered. At this point, reference should be made to the following fact: The ten studies that have been identified for the proposed study are presented in the Bibliography section, in the form of Annotated Bibliography. In this way, the relevance of each of these studies with this proposal is made clear. These studies will be used for developing the proposed study; however, the potential use of additional material cannot be rejected, especially if the issues highlighted in these studies help to understand clearer the value and the implications of the topic under discussion. Annotated Bibliography Aufrieter, R. (2002). Mobile Security — New Needs on New Devices. Feature, pp.93-94 Aufrieter focuses on the safety issues related to a particular mobile device: the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). This device offers services similar to a calendar, allowing the user to organize his obligations and to meet deadlines. It is explained that this mobile device, like all others of similar role, are exposed to safety risks. The use of certain measures, as suggested in the above study, could limit the risks related to the particular device. Drew, J. (2012) Managing Cybersecurity Risks. August 2012. Journal of Accountancy, pp.44-48 The author refers to a current trend that has set a series of important safety issues. Reference is made to BYOG, an acronym used for showing the potential of an individual to ‘bring his own device’ (Drew 2012) in an area where other mobile devices are in place. This practice that has been expanded in the workplace has set important safety problems, such as the unauthorized downloading of enterprise data by employees. Ernest-Jones, T. (2006) Pinning down a security policy for mobile data. June 2006. Network Security, pp.8-12 The use of mobile phones for storing information has become a common practice. Still, this practice can be particularly risky especially since mobile phone providers have not developed a framework for ensuring the protection of users’ personal data, as stored in the mobile phones. The author highlights the rules on which such framework should be based. Furnell, S. (2006). Securing mobile devices: technology and attitudes. August 2006. Network Security, pp.9-13 Furnell focuses on the negative aspects of mobile devices when they are brought in the workplace. It is explained that employees who have mobile phones based on advance technology are able to download all data stored in the enterprise’s systems without such attempt to be revealed. An important security question is set at this point: should the use of mobile devices be allowed to all people or should specific criteria exist. The author seems to support the second view, even if the enforcement of the relevant legislation is also problematic. Glisson, W., Storer, T., Mayall, G., Moug, I. & Grispos, G. (2011). Electronic retention: what does your mobile phone reveal about you? International Journal of Information Security, 10: 337-349 The authors refer to a critical issue related to mobile phones’ safety standards. It is noted that the users of mobile phones are given the chance to change their mobile phone whenever they wish, usually for acquiring a mobile phone of higher technical potentials. The mobile phones that have been replaced are usually send for recycling. The authors note that in practice the above process can hide a major risk: the risk for sharing the personal data with the next user of the particular mobile phone. A test on mobile phones that have been replaced has verified the view that the personal data of users of mobile phones cannot be fully removed, a fact that sets under important threats the personal life of users. Gorge, M. (2006). Mobility and Security: two sides of the same coin. November 2006. Computer Fraud and Security, pp.15-18 Gorge notes that security can be closely related to mobility, in the following way: since a device has the advantage of mobility, the safety of its data is threatened. Gorge claims that executives in modern firms need to be aware of this fact and promote a strategy for securing the safety of enterprise data available in the workplace. According to Gorge, mobile devices face two key safety problems: a) the risk for loss of the data stored in them and b) the risk for capturing data for which there is no relevant authorization. Maaser, M. & Langendorfer, P. (2009). Privacy from Promises to Protection Privacy Guaranteeing Execution Container. Mobile Network Application, 14:65–81 The specific paper highlights the safety concerns related to mobile devices, especially the mobile phones, when used in the workplace. The authors suggest that the use of specific technology for capturing information of various types is not allowed and that mobile phones should be only used as communication tools. Pasquinucci, A. (2009).The security challenges of mobile devices. March 2009. Computer Fraud & Security, March 2013. The specific paper focuses on the security issues related to mobile phones. Reference is made in particular to the potential of most mobile phones to connect to the Internet without using a cable. It is explained that the direct Internet connection, a service available to most mobile phones available in the modern market, is the key reason for the lack of safety of data, as a phenomenon common to modern mobile phones. The key benefit of this study is its extensive reference to Internet as a factor setting in risk the information included in mobile devices. Potter, B. (2007). Mobile Security Risks: Ever Involving. August 2007. Network Security. March 2013. Mobile phones seem to have important safety problems, a phenomenon that has been related to a particular function of these devices: the potential to connect to the Internet with no delay. The author notes that this problem that mobile phones tend to face can severely affect both the individual, as a user, and the enterprise, in case that a mobile phone has been used for storing commercial data. The value of this paper can be identified in the suggestion of techniques for increasing the level of safety of mobile phones. US-CERT (2010). Technical Information Paper-TIP-10-105-01 Cyber Threats to Mobile Devices. US-CERT Technical Information Paper – TIP-10-105-01 April 15, 2010, pp.1-16 The specific paper highlights the safety risks to which mobile phones are exposed due to their technology. It is explained that current mobile phones are similar to computers and are able to store a high amount of data. This characteristic of mobile phones often attracts criminals or other persons who want to have access to a mobile phone’s data. The important advantage of this study compared to other published in this field is that it presents analytically all the potential Cyber threats for mobile phones of advanced technology. Read More