TechHive: Prosecutors say they'll scrutinize Apple, Samsung phone security features

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Prosecutors say they'll scrutinize Apple, Samsung phone security features Jul 18th 2013, 18:19, by Agam Shah, IDG News Service A call by U.S. prosecutors for phone manufacturers to install a "kill switch" to discourage smartphone theft has taken a step forward, with Apple and Samsung providing handsets whose security features will be put to the test. As part of the "Secure Our Smartphones" initiative announced by U.S. prosecutors and other groups in June, phone makers are being asked to find technological solutions to prevent smartphone theft. Law enforcement is dealing with growing crime—including murder—related to smartphone theft, especially iPhones, and one of the ideas put forward was the installation of kill switches to disable smartphones completely. As part of the SOS initiative, Apple will provide an iPhone 5 with the "Activation Lock" enabled, while Samsung will provide a Galaxy S4 smartphone with the LoJack for Android feature. The smartphones will be tested for security features and "attempts will be made to circumvent the anti-theft features," said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in a joint statement on Thursday. Prosectors and other groups want smartphone makers to come up with ways to deter phone theft, as part of the 'Save Our Smartphones' initiative. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Media files: smartphone_security-100026491-small.jpg

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