DOI: 10.36347/sjebm.2017.v04i08.002

Pages: 474-481

During this modern age of technology, security risk issues of smartphones have increased recently, despite the high adoption of smartphones globally, with different ages of users and with a wide variety of smartphone functionalities and services, such as, video calls, multimedia services, and Bluetooth and Global Positioning System (GPS). User data and sensitive information has become more general and pervasive, because users have to agree on providing some of the personal details, for example, an email address in order to download an app in addition to software use, such as Viber and WhatsApp. Furthermore, users do not know if the mobile data accessed by application providers is legal or not. All these reasons make for an easy penetration of smartphones and the manipulation of personal information of users, either through malware or hackers. However, these risks will not stop in the future, as they evolve and grow with the development of technology. Moreover, it is not legally acceptable. Consequently, this report discusses the diffusion of smartphones, with an analysis of the increasing security risks of using smartphones globally. Also, this report covers security risk statistics and examples, in addition to focusing on the security threats aspects from malicious software and attacks by hackers. FlexiSpy and Ikee.B are examples of virus software. Usually consumers do not achieve the main purpose of using smartphones such as accessing their bank account and online shopping because of the worry of these threats. For example, 12 million Americans had their identity stolen. Furthermore, it affects businessmen, politicians and employees in companies. This paper focuses on legal and technical solutions which can control and manage the risks. Therefore, users and companies need to use some of these important legal measures and techniques when using smartphones in order to protect their devices from attacks. For example, users are advised to register with legal data pro