Study into the Implications of Smartphone Operating System Security

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Study into the implications of Smartphone operating system security Operating system updates HOW IT WORKS Microsoft manages Windows Phone software updates and will release updates on a staggered schedule throughout the world. When a Windows Phone device owner will get an update is dependent on different factors including type of device and what MNO is being used. There is a different update process for Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8. WINDOWS PHONE 7 Windows Phone 7 software update information is made available through the update central website. When a Windows Phone 7 software update is available a message will appear on the device informing the owner that an update is available. Windows Phone 7 updates are managed through a personal computer application called ‘Zune’ and the device owner will be required to physically connect. Zune is available only for Windows users and a separate Windows Phone application is needed for Mac users. WINDOWS PHONE 8 Windows Phone 8 software update information is made available through the update central website. When a Windows Phone 8 software update is available a message will appear on the device informing the owner that an update is available. Windows Phone 8 supports OTA software updates and also has an automatic update feature that allows the software update to be automatically updated. This feature automatically checks that the battery life is good enough to support the entire update process. There is also a manual feature that allows the user to check for available Windows Phone 8 software updates. Goode Intelligence © 2013 P a g e | 61 www.goodeintelligence.com
Study into the implications of Smartphone operating system security 3. ANALYSIS OF HOW UK MOBILE NETWORK OPERATORS Overview (MNOS) MANAGE MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATES This section analyses how UK MNOs manage the mobile operating system software update process, including the frequency of software updates and how these updates are communicated to Smartphone owners. As part of the research for this study, Goode Intelligence has interviewed representatives from some of the UK’s MNO community 55 to determine what involvement they have in the Smartphone operating system update process. Their involvement in this process is largely uniform on an operator by operator basis. Where it differs is between the different Smartphone operating systems. There is no standard Smartphone operating system update process. There is a different process, and therefore a different level of operator involvement, for each Smartphone operating system. For instance, Apple, Blackberry and Windows Phone will largely manage the operating system software update process themselves. That is not to say that the operators have no involvement in this process. In an interview between Apple and Goode Intelligence as part of this research, a spokesperson stated Apple “works closely with carriers (MNOs) to ensure that the updated operating system works on their network”. 56 Additionally if a software update affects the radio stack (the part of the operating system that manages communication between the Smartphone and the Operator’s cellular (radio) network), then the MNO will be involved in ensuring that the change has not affected the device’s ability to connect to their cellular network. The MNOs are largely unable to make any changes to the operating system but will authorise that the software updates are compatible with the network. Conversely, MNOs have much more involvement in testing software updates for Android Smartphones and to a lesser degree with Windows Phone 7 (Windows Phone 8 does have an option to take updates directly from Microsoft but only if users agree not to contact the MNO’s directly for any support problems with the operating system). There have been criticisms with the role of the operator in this process, in particular with the delay between the software update being available by the mobile operating system owner/OEM to it being pushed out by the operator. In the following sections we shall investigate whether this criticism is well-founded and look at the reasons why delays occur and its impact on Smartphone owners. 55 Goode Intelligence thanks Telefonica O2 and Vodafone for their support 56 Apple interview: Friday 8 March 2013. Goode Intelligence © 2013 P a g e | 62 www.goodeintelligence.com
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Study into the Implications of Smartphone Operating System Security

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