IMGCAP(1)]
Mobile phones featuring GSM (Global System For Mobile) cellular technology provide the best security for mobile applications that feature contactless Near Field Communication payments, mobile banking, electronic ticketing and mobile payments, according to a report by 3G Americas LLC, a Bellevue, Wash.-based Wireless-phone trade association. The report "Security and Trust in Mobile Application" suggests consumers worry about such trust and security issues as identity theft and phishing with mobile financial applications. A service provider's business model may suffer if subscribers do not view the applications as secure and trusted, the report suggests. "There is a segment of society that does not trust transactions solely machine-based, particularly where mobile devices are concerned," Yale Vinson, manager for technical consulting communications at Gemalto North America, says in the report. The universal integrated circuit card used in a GSM mobile phone provides the best protection against fraud, according to the report. "Part of the reasoning for this recommendation is the well-established security of the [card], its portability between devices and the ability of the mobile-network operator to access the secure element in the event a device is lost of stolen," the report says. The secure element is a security feature on GSM phones. Mobile phone users can access information stored on the universal chip only by using a personal identification number or password.
