New technologies unveiled to protect U.K. 75 million mobile phone users from crime
U.K. e-commerce, or contatcless, mobile transactions, will account for £151 billion by 2013. the U.K. government’s Design Council unveils three solutions aiming to make mobile phones – and, hence, e-commerce – safer
Here are some facts relating to mobile phones in the United Kingdom:
- 228 mobile phones are reported stolen in the United Kingdom every hour
- Mobile phone identity fraud rose by 74 percent in the first half of 2009 according to the U.K. fraud prevention service CIFAS
- Contactless transactions in the United Kingdom are predicted to account for £151 billion by 2013
The U.K. Design Council is determined to make mobile phones – and, hence, e-commerce and m-commerce – safer, and to achieve this goal has come up with three new design innovations to tackle mobile phone crime, including a device that locks a phone and alerts the owner if it is taken away from them.
The prototypes were developed by teams of designers and technology experts as part of the Mobile Phone Security Challenge, an initiative from the U.K. Home Office Design and Technology Alliance and the Design Council, with support and funding from the Technology Strategy Board.
The aim of the challenge was to protect mobile phone users from crimes such as mobile phone identity fraud, which rose by more than 70 percent in 2009, to make phones more secure, and to prevent unauthorized use of mobiles for electronic contactless payments, soon to be become widespread in the United Kingdom.
The solutions are:
- i-migo — a small device which the user keeps about their person. The i-migo sounds an alert and locks the handset if it is taken out of a set range —either through theft or loss. The i-migo also provides automated backup of important data using Bluetooth technology.
- The “tie” solution — this electronically matches a handset to a SIM card and protects data stored on the handset with a password and encryption. If stolen, the handset cannot be used with another SIM and data such as saved passwords, browsed websites, and contacts cannot be accessed by criminals, who can use it to defraud victims, by hacking into online bank accounts.
- TouchSafe — aimed at making m-commerce transactions more secure by using a small card worn or carried by the user, who discreetly touches the phone to the card to enable the transaction. Touch Safe uses the same Near Field Communication (NFC) technology currently used by the Oyster travel card.
The three working prototypes will be on display from the 15 to 18 February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona the mobile industry’s annual trade show. The
