Study into the Implications of Smartphone Operating System Security

Study into the implications of Smartphone operating system security
that the operator controls. On average the testing phase will take approximately eight weeks.
There will be variations to this time period based upon the Smartphone type and if many
defects are found during testing.
MNOs have discovered problems during this testing phase and this has been as serious as
rendering the device completely unusable, e.g. ‘bricking’, the Smartphone under test.
The typical process for releasing mobile operating system updates to MNO customers
involves three main steps (see figure 3.1):
1. The Smartphone operating system software will be updated by the owner / builder
and released to the MNO community. Where the operating system builder/owner is
different from the handset manufacturer then this will be a two-step process.
2. The MNO will receive the update and will either fully test or authorise the release.
This stage may include making changes to the operating system that are required to
ensure that the operating system is compatible with the Operator’s network and
testing to ensure that any Operator mobile Apps are not affected by the changes.
3. Once tested and authorised the MNO will push the operating system update out to its
customers and monitor for any feedback. Most MNOs will have a group of ‘Friendly
Users’ that receive the updated software in advance of the main push out to the
remaining customers. If the Smartphone can support FOTA updates than this will be
used if not the customer will be required to download the update through a specific
mobile operating system utility tool that will be loaded onto a PC, e.g. Samsung Kies
or Apple iTunes.
Figure 3.1: Typical Smartphone Operating System Update Process
Source: Goode Intelligence © 2013
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