DarkMatter’s membership will permit the firm to become active in GSMA working groups such as Fraud and Security, Web and SIM. These three groups address issues such as safeguarding SIM cards, encryption on the internet, the introduction of HTTP2, mobile malware, cloud service risks and controls, and SS7 security.

The GSMA includes nearly 800 operators and another 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem. The Association, which also produces a range of events that convene the mobile industry, such as Mobile World Congress, has 13 global offices, including one in Dubai.

As an Associate Member of the GSMA, DarkMatter further benefits from the GSMA’s resources and can participate in working groups of GSMA programmes such as Personal Data and Connected Living, which are relevant to the firm’s own efforts to help secure mobile and Internet of Things devices, and create secure access to online services.

Commenting on the membership, DarkMatter’s Founder & CEO, Faisal Al Bannai said, “This is DarkMatter’s first substantive industry membership, and we are proud that it is with an organisation as esteemed as the GSMA. Mobile communications have transformed the way in which we work and live, and with the growth in connectivity, and the expansion of applications that are going mobile, it is imperative we secure this fundamental environment from cyber threats.”

Faisal Al Bannai continued, “The convergence of mobility, IT, and the web means millions of connected devices are being added to the digital ecosystem on a continuous basis. At DarkMatter we have enjoyed success in developing end-to-end secure communications applications, and we hope to leverage our membership in the GSMA to further establish our activities in this area, while exchanging valuable insights with the leading mobile operators globally.”

In addition to DarkMatter’s collaboration to help improve the security of the mobile ecosystem, the firm will also benefit from GSMA networking opportunities, access to knowledge databases, and best-practice guidelines and industry intelligence and insight. Membership also offers DarkMatter the opportunity to participate at events and marketing opportunities.

The significance of becoming a part of the GSMA cannot be overstated. The industry body brings together operating companies serving 4.8 billion unique mobile subscribers globally, in an industry that generates over a trillion dollars of revenue annually.

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The EMEA 360 Boardroom Survey conducted by Deloitte earlier this year, canvassed 271 non-executive directors across 20 countries in the EMEA region, and found growing awareness and higher priority being given to cyber security issues, as well as more focus on innovation and digitisation.

Sixty per cent of respondents ranked innovation as a very important issue, with product innovation gaining the most attention (63%), followed by business model innovation (49%) and digital innovation (47%). Only 9% of respondents said that their organisation did not have an innovation plan, highlighting the criticality of technological advancements, which need to be properly secured in order be effective and sustainable.
GITEX is a platform for ICT leaders to address key industry issues and exchange views with international thought-leaders, and DarkMatter Chief Executive Officer, Faisal Al Bannai is one of the company’s senior representatives set to speak at the event. During his keynote address Faisal Al Bannai will draw on examples worldwide of how private and public sectors can evolve together in order to create and sustain an optimised cyber security posture.

Faisal Al Bannai said, “As cyber threats become more numerous and sophisticated, they risk the development of smart cities and Internet of Things environments should these ecosystems become compromised. DarkMatter advises that cyber security resilience be placed at the centre of digital developments in order to ensure the integrity of digital networks and all parties connected to them.”
Faisal Al Bannai continued, “We consider events like GITEX as being instrumental in raising awareness about the evolving cyber threat landscape, and what steps can be taken to develop a stronger defence posture against threat players. Our Resiliency Model is one such tool we shall be showcasing at GITEX, and it offers an insight into the cascading impact that a single cyber attack may have on interconnected, critical networks. Our commitment is to transform the way in which cyber security is perceived and implemented in order to create a safer, more robust digital environment to the benefit of society.”
GITEX Technology Week is expected to attract over 140,000 visitors and more than 4,000 exhibitors. New sections added to this year’s event include augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, AdTech solutions, wearables and smart fabrics, vertical farming, space technology and autonomous vehicles.

Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President at Dubai World Trade Centre commented, “The significance of cyber security to ensuring the safe and proper operation of digital, connected networks is becoming clear, and we appreciate DarkMatter’s participation at GITEX Technology Week as Cyber Security Innovation Partner for the first time this year. We fully support the need to raise awareness around the risks that exist in a digitised environment, and the steps that should be taken to mitigate them. DarkMatter’s thought-leadership and expertise will be a great asset at the show this year.”
DarkMatter is staffed by tier one international cyber experts who develop, manage and deploy the most innovative technologies. Solutions adhere to the company’s Cyber Security Life-Cycle, which incorporates a four-stage approach involving planning, detection, protection and recovery, and reinforces its secure business solutions.

DarkMatter is leveraging this experience in the wider market as it looks to serve regional and international clients. The company provides a complete portfolio of cyber security solutions and services to organisations that have sophisticated security requirements, from governments and infrastructure operators to large corporations.

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Smartphones are packed with connected features, with high-definition cameras and GPS location almost universally standard. They can also be used to turn a mobile phone into a spy device, able to take and record photographs, location data, and even map inside a home or workplace, without the user’s knowledge or permission. This risk is something that Four’s latest offering, the K500 smartphone, is specifically designed to guard against by completely removing the camera and GPS.

“There is a very real concern that your mobile phone could be hijacked by malware, photographing you, friends and family, spying inside the home or workplace,” said Four’s founder and CEO, Faisal Al Bannai. “This can happen by downloading a seemingly innocent app onto the phone, but within the app are a series of permissions, allowing access to cameras, GPS location and so on, that transform the camera into a spy device. The app is the so-called Trojan horse that installs surveillance software onto the device, and brings intruders into your private environment.”

A significant concern would be ‘peeping Tom’ malware, allowing hackers to collect personal images, via the device’s camera. Combined with GPS, images can become a become a real threat to personal safety and privacy.

Easy-to-create malware can be dangerously effective in collecting information. In 2012, the US Naval Surface Warfare Centre ran an experiment to find out how much information it could harvest via a relatively simple custom-made smartphone app. Called PlaceRaider, the app took random, high-resolution images at regular intervals, using GPS and motion sensors to record the time, location and orientation of each image, and uploaded the pictures onto a central server. By analyzing the images and accompanying data, the research team was able to produce 3D renderings of building interiors, identifying precisely where valuable items could be found. The researchers noted that an app such as this could allow thieves to identify targets, and break into homes already knowing exactly where to find your valuables.

With such intrusive malware so simple to create and distribute, the most effective means of protection is to ensure the devices the malware exploits do not enter secure environments. The Four K500 helps achieve this by omitting features that malware depends upon – camera and GPS – while otherwise being a full-featured smartphone.

“The K500 is tailored towards organizations that wish to absolutely eliminate the risk of being spied upon,” said Al Bannai. “There is no camera, and there is no GPS, which are the two key features that allow spyware to record a physical environment. Some workplaces are requiring such devices for reasons of site security, but we believe they can also play an important role in personal safety, and can be of great value to parents concerned about the safety of their children.”

As a brand focused on value, Four tailors its products to offer a carefully planned selection of popular features at a reasonable price, and the K500 is no different. With the exception of camera and GPS, it is a fully connected smartphone, with features including a quad-core processor, 3G connectivity, the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, 1GB RAM, 8GB memory, and 1900 mAh battery. It comes with two screen protectors and a free flip cover inside the box, along with a one-year warranty from axiom Telecom.

And it is priced at just AED 299.

“The Four K500 is designed to fill a very specific need in the market, but it still includes essential features that customers value,” Al Bannai. “And it has a very important additional feature – the confidence that your privacy is protected.”

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