Scientists have developed an innovative firewall programme that can protect smartphones from malicious codes and security threats. Earlier this year, researchers from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel discovered a security vulnerability in the internal communications between Android cellphone components and a phone's central processing unit (CPU).
They alerted Android developer Google and helped the company address the problem. "Our technology doesn't require device manufacturers to understand or modify any new code," said Yossi Oren from BGU. "It's a firewall that can be implemented as a tiny chip, or as an independent software module running on the CPU," said Oren.
Some 400 million people change their phone's components, such as touchscreens, chargers, and battery or sensor assemblies, which are all susceptible to significant security breaches and attacks.
These components, referred to as "field replaceable units (FRUs)," communicate with the phone CPU over simple interfaces with no authentication mechanisms or error detection capabilities.
A malicious vendor could add a compromised FRU to a phone, leaving it vulnerable to password and financial theft, fraud, malicious photo or video distribution, and unauthorized app downloads.
"This problem is especially acute in the Android market with many manufacturers that operate independently," researchers said.
"An attack of this type occurs outside the phone's storage area; it can survive phone factory resets, remote wipes and firmware updates. Existing security solutions cannot prevent this specific security issue," they said.
"There is no way for the phone itself to discover that it's under this type of an attack. Our solution prevents a malicious or misconfigured FRU from compromising the code running on the CPU by checking all the incoming and outgoing communication," said Omer Schwartz from BGU.
The research team uses machine learning algorithms to monitor the phones' internal communications for anomalies that may indicate malicious code.
The software allowed them to identify and prevent hardware-generated data leaks and hacks. The researchers are seeking to further test the patent-pending technology with phone manufacturers.
Few would dispute with the fact that India has descended into primeval bloodletting with Muslims and Dalits being the main target of hatred and violence. A bloody campaign is being carried out against them across India in the name of protecting cows. With the rise of BJP in power at the centre and in various states of India, the upper-caste Hindu thugs have formed groups with complete state-backing to what they call protect cows. Under the guise of cow protection, these Hindu extremists have killed more than 20 Muslims besides injuring several others on the extremely manufactured allegations of carrying or eating beef. The most regrettable part was that different segments of the society and the state were tight-lipped on these despicable incidents. The savage killing of a 16-year old boy Junaid of Harayana, three days before Ied-ul-Fitre, by a mob of 15 to 20 Hindu goons in a train at Ballabgarh, finally shook their conscience and they broke their prolonged silence when, on Wednesday, liberal intellectuals, worried teachers, and members of practically every ethnic group and religious community gathered in thousands in different cities including national capital New Delhi to protest against a state-watched culture of catching Muslims and Dalits and lynching them over beef eating or transporting of cattle. This outrage had effect on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. On Thursday Modi stated that he disapproved of the killing in the name of protecting cows. But reading Modi's statement between the lines, it is more an advice than admonish. "No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands. Violence has and never will solve any problem." Given the frenzied violence against Muslims whipped up by the State-backed cow protection movement, it is doubtful if mere wordplay of 'disapproval' would work. Disapproval without condemnation and warnings devoid of action are little going to stop the bloody campaign against Muslims. It is perhaps for this fact that barely two hours after Modi's 'outcry', a Muslim Alimuddin alias Asgar Ansari was waylaid by goons in Bajartand village of Ramgarh district in BJP-ruled Jharkhand state. The man was beaten to death and his car set on fire on the allegation of carrying 'beef'. This is second such case in Jharkhand in the last three days. On Tuesday a Muslim was beaten severely and his house set on fire in Giridih district of the same state on the false accusation of killing a cow. Lynching of Muslims and low-caste Dalits is not new to India, but it has increased of late, given the tacit sanction being given by the Modi government and his party BJP. Modi came to power in 2014 with a thumping majority against the backdrop of a severe hate campaign against Muslims. Modi reinforced his anti-Muslim feeling and virtually gave sanction at the highest level by stopping the time-honoured practice of Indian prime ministers hosting an Iftar party for Muslim leaders and personalities once during Ramadan every year. Modi has scrupulously also avoided the customary Iftar hosted by the president of India. Taking the cue from him, his ministers also avoided the Iftar hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee this year. Modi also did not greet Muslims on Eid. Modi has the baggage of being anti-Muslim since he was chief minister of Gujrat. More than 3000 Muslims across Gujrat were massacred during Modi's rule in the state in 2002. America and several western countries had put ban on his visit. Modi's inaction against extremist Hindus is deemed as his commitment with the Hindutva agenda of transforming India into a Hindu Rashtra through cattle-trade rules. Modi government has restricted cattle trade and several BJP-ruled states have come up with stringent punishment for smuggling or slaughtering cows, considered holy by Hindus.
With no connection in the film industry, it was difficult for Nidhhi Agerwal to bag her debut project "Munna Michael", but the actress says the real battle lies in sustaining and getting work after the first movie.
Nidhhi moved to Mumbai from Bengaluru two years ago and had to go through a series of auditions to bag her first film, which also stars Tiger Shroff and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
"I have no film connection, I come from a business family. It was tough to get in here but it isn't like it has become easy now. Earlier I used to think 'oh I'll get a film then everything will be great'. It doesn't work like that," Nidhhi told PTI.
"Once you get a film, the pressure, the stress increases after that. It never lessens. You have to do well, there are expectations from people. The other side is of the paparazzi too, so you have to look decent all the time. But I am enjoying all of this," she says.
The actress is aware that an opportunity is all that matters to showcase one's talent and feels blessed to have entered Bollywood with "Munna Michael".
"I've been waiting for years to get into it (acting). I am very nervous because I want to do a good job and I hope people like me. When I see myself on the posters, in the trailers, I feel so happy that I got an opportunity to be here and do what I wanted," she says.
The film chronicles the story of a young man from the streets, called Munna, played by Tiger, who is a big fan of Michael Jackson.
Munna teaches dancing to Mahinder Fauji, played by Siddiqui, who is a gangster with dancing ambitions.
Nidhhi says working with both of them was equally fun and she was never intimidated by the them.
"I never tried to compete with them in a scene. I was focusing on what I had to do. Tiger helped me a lot and we got along really well. With Nawaz sir, I used to just observe him, how he approached his scenes and performed," she says.
It wasn't that the actress became comfortable being in front of the camera right from the go, as Nidhhi recalls being awestruck on the first day of the shoot.
"When I saw the set on first day... It was huge, and I had to dance, which was my introduction shot. I got so nervous that despite being a dancer, I couldn't do it. I had to then calm myself down and focus on it (shot). Later I started enjoying it," she says.