The goal is to discourage phone theft, a fast growing problem in the United States. After a phone is reported stolen, voice and data services would be disabled by the mobile operator, rendering it less likely to end up on the black market. Currently, if you cancel your service after your phone is stolen, it can still be reactivated under a different service plan. However, under this new initiative the database would list Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs). If a new SIM card is inserted after a UDID is blocked, it will not function.

As is usually the case with initiatives to stop crime, the plan is by no means a catch-all. The Wall Street Journal noted that stolen phones often end up overseas and there is no guarantee that the plan will be enforceable everywhere. While some U.S. lawmakers are working on legislation to outlaw the practice of modifying a UDID, criminals with the right tools may still feel the promise of an easy payday outweighs the risk of getting caught.

Nevertheless, we feel it is a step in the right direction for mobile customers here in the United States and will result in a reduction of stolen phones. Even as ingrained as we are in mobile security technology, we believe that, “the best defense is a good offense.” In the spirit of a good offense, here are some things you can do that will help prevent your phone from ending up on the new national database:

1. When you are in a large group of people and not using your mobile phone, remember to put it in the same front pants pocket (which is usually deeper than the back). Your back pants pockets, and even coat pockets, are easy targets for pickpockets.

2. Train yourself to do a “mobile phone check” before leaving for your next destination.

3. Do not get in the habit of holding your device in your hand when not using it. This is a sure setup for putting it down and leaving it behind.

4. Never place your mobile phone in your lap while driving as you might drop it when getting out of your car.

5. Think about whether or not taking your mobile device into places like concerts or sporting events is really needed. Congested events are usually where mobile phones are lost, and are popular hangouts for pickpockets.

6. When you are out and about, never let your kids, young or old, play with your phone. They are likely to lay down your phone when something else captures their attention.

7. If all else fails and you are one of our existing customers, be sure to use Mobile Defense to try to locate your mobile device before you report it stolen. The FCC has not released details as to how found phones will be removed from the list and reactivated.

8. What are your tips for preventing your phone from being stolen? Be sure to comment and we will add them to this list for the benefit of our readers.

We greatly appreciate the contributions of our current customers to our Community Forum over the years, and look forward to supporting your needs one-on-one through our Help Desk and growing Knowledge Base.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a force close when updating from 2.3.8 to 2.3.11.
• Fixed bug where a specific device setting was not being tracked properly.

If you already installed 2.3.11, you will need to do a complete uninstall prior to installing 2.3.12.

If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please create a support ticket: https://support.mobiledefense.com or helpdesk@mobiledefense.com

Features:

• Optional expanded settings tracking for troubleshooting.

Bug fixes:

• Tray icon now respects settings. It will still show up if malware is detected.
• Fixed force close when rotating on certain activities.
• Scan icon fixed and no longer gets stuck in tray.

If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please create a support ticket: https://support.mobiledefense.com or helpdesk@mobiledefense.com

Our team looks to the rest of the year with great expectations and plans. Speaking for the team, we are very appreciative of the positive comments we have received from existing users about release 2.3.8. I am also excited to share some of the developments from the past year because they are shaping the future of Mobile Defense and our efforts to build better mobile security products.

Taking a step back to stay one step ahead

Over the last year while we closed the beta version to new users, we have focused on establishing significant enterprise and OEM relationships. In the coming months, you will hear about new features and our plans to create a better mobile security experience for our personal and enterprise users. We have been working strategically with our partners to enhance the Mobile Defense product in ways that would not have been possible had we not closed the beta.

We will start porting these features to personal accounts and updating the blog on a regular basis regarding these pushes. We will keep you posted on opening the Beta to new users. Until then be sure to get on our waiting list. Release 2.3.8 is just the beginning, and there are features coming that I feel will differentiate us in the market. The positive response to the last release from existing users has been encouraging as we work to open our dialog here.

The decision I made to focus our resources over the last year on the enterprise and OEM opportunities was needed to keep us one step ahead of long-term mobile security threats. The direction we have taken has made the product stronger. While not immediately evident to Mobile Defense’s personal users, the company has continued to grow and move forward.

A year that has taken us beyond locate, lock, and wipe

Ever since we were first to market with our award-winning mobile security product for Android, we have seen the mobile market explode. With that growth, there have been exponentially more threats to mobile platforms. We have learned as a team that the new mobile security landscape requires more than the usual mobile device management (MDM) solutions and signature-based malware protection. We recognize that a security model ported from the desktop-era could not possibly work in the mobilized world we now live. Our vision for a new approach to mobile security is now a reality, and has been validated over the past year by our enterprise engagements.

Our mobile threat management solutions now safeguard millions of users, and are trusted by some of the largest companies in the world. The Mobile Defense platform includes enterprise-grade malware protection, mobile threat management, risk intelligence, and vulnerability tracking. This unified approach provides an unprecedented level of protection and visibility to our users.

A vision for better mobile security can only be realized with the best talent

Another exciting validation over the past year has been the rapid addition of many new members to our team. We realize that technology is only as good as the team building it. It takes a special, passionate group to execute on our vision for world-class mobile security solutions. As a result, we are taking great care to find the best people available to scale our team. We would like to hear from talented individuals with experience in security, reverse engineering and software development. You can find a list of some of our open positions on our careers page.

Stay tuned and stay safe

I invite you to check back here as we continue to make updates and roll out releases. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please create a support ticket: https://support.mobiledefense.com or helpdesk@mobiledefense.com

We will be attending Case Western Reserve University’s Career Fair on Thursday, February 16th. We are excited to meet students and alumni who might be interested in career opportunities at Mobile Defense.

For more information about CWRU’s career fair, visit this site:
http://studentaffairs.case.edu/careers/events/fairs/getexperienced.html

We are proud to announce that we are presenting at TechSpark on February 13!

For those who have not heard, TechSpark is a recruiting event hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. This event is specifically designed for startups and small businesses to not only meet students and alumni, but share our stories and visions for the technologies we are developing. We will talk about Mobile Defense’s founding, mission, and vision for the future. We will also discuss the technologies that we are developing, how we are accomplishing our goals, and how our team is rapidly growing.

We are thrilled to meet the students, alumni, and other attendees at TechSpark and to share the Mobile Defense story.

Mobile Defense 1.x was released as a public beta to prove out our system. After a year of testing, we took it off the Android Market so we could focus on working with our OEM partners. As a result, we’ve been able to whitelabel some of our technology and create new features for the upcoming consumer release of Mobile Defense 2.x.

Mobile Defense 2.x will be available in the Android Market within the next few months. More details will be forthcoming as the release date approaches, so be sure to check back here and keep up with us on Twitter.

In preparation for the upgrade, we’ve overhauled our support forums and converted them over to a more robust support desk solution. Our hope is that the new design will allow for easier searches and a better overall user experience. If you’re registered as a Mobile Defense user you can login with your existing Mobile Defense credentials and start posting today.

Thanks again to everyone who has continued to support us! We are doing our best to give you a quality product, and we appreciate your patience as we finalize the next version of Mobile Defense.

Existing users should not experience any interruptions in service and you can re-install Mobile Defense by visiting http://www.mobiledefense.com/install from your Android phone. Important note, new users attempting to install Mobile Defense will be unable to complete the registration process at this time.

If you would like to be notified via email when we resume accepting new users, please complete this form: https://www.mobiledefense.com/download