Ericsson mobiles flawed as Microsft and RIM add protections

Link: Ericsson mobiles flawed as Microsft and RIM add protections
Filed under: Linux News, Legal News, Mobile News, Technology News, Microsoft News, Security News

Security companies in France and Denmark have warned that a flaw in how bluetooth operates in some Sony Ericsson mobile phones, could make them vulnerable to attacks.

While the flaw is rated as low risk, it continues a disturbing trend in mobile phone technology that leaves handsets and the software they use as vulnerable to attack.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has decided to extend its patent disputes and IP litigation protection to manufacturers and distributors of mobile devices running Windows.

This comes at a time when Windows and Linux are being touted as the future platforms in mobile computing.

While Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) holds a leading market share in the USA, the company is undergoing crippling legal action after being found in violation of patent protections.

RIM were forced to release a software patch this week, which attempts to circumvent use of patents already in its system, in order to avoid being entirely shut down by the US courts at the end of the month.

The mobile computing market is expected to be a key consumer platform for service provision in future, but the stories illustrate some of the vulnerabilities at present.