Module 4: Mobile Operating

Systems and Security

Instructor Materials

Operating System Basics

Module 4: Mobile Operating
Systems and Security

Operating System Basics

Module Objectives
Module Title: Mobile Operating Systems and Security
Module Objective: Explain the purpose and characteristics of mobile operating systems.

Topic Title Topic Objective

Android Versus iOS Compare the Android and iOS operating systems.

Mobile Touch Interface Describe the features of the Android and iOS touch interfaces.
Common Mobile Device Describe operating system features that are common among mobile
Features devices.
Passcode Locks Explain how to configure various types of passcode locks.
Cloud-Enabled Services for
Describe Cloud-enabled services for mobile devices.
Mobile Devices
Mobile Device Software
Describe software security for mobile devices.
Security

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4.1 Android Versus iOS
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Android vs iOS
Open Source vs Closed Source
▪ Like desktops and laptops, mobile devices use
an operating system (OS) to run software.

▪ Before users can analyze and modify

software, they must be able to see the source
code.
• When the developer chooses to provide the
source code, the software is said to be open
source.
• If the program’s source code is not published,
the software is said to be closed source.
▪ Android is developed by Google, and iOS is
developed by Apple.

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Android vs iOS
Applications and Content Sources
▪ Apps are written and compiled for a specific mobile
operating system such as Apple iOS, Android, or
Windows.

▪ Mobile devices come with a number of different apps

preinstalled to provide basic functionality.
• There are apps to make phone calls, send and receive
email, listen to music, take pictures, and play video or video
games.
▪ Instead of being installed from an optical disk, apps are
downloaded from a content source.

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Android vs iOS
Applications and Content Sources (Cont.)
▪ Apps for Apple iOS mobile devices are available for free or purchase from the App Store.

▪ Apple uses a walled garden model for their apps meaning the apps must be submitted to and
approved by Apple before they are released to users.
• This helps prevent the spread of malware and malicious code.
▪ Android apps are available from both Google PlayTM and third-party sites, such as Amazon’s App
store

▪ Android apps run in a sandbox and have only the privileges enabled by the user.

▪ Third-party or custom programs are installed directly using an Android Application Package (apk)
file.
• This gives users the ability to directly install apps without going through the storefront interface and is
known as sideloading.

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4.2 Mobile Touch Interface
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Mobile Touch Interface
Home Screen Items
▪ Android Main Home Screen
• One screen is designated as the home screen.
• Additional screens are accessed by sliding the
home screen to the left or right.
▪ Navigation icons
• The Android® OS uses the system bar to
navigate apps and screens.
• The system bar contains the following buttons:
• Back
• Home
• Recent Apps
• Menu

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Mobile Touch Interface
Home Screen Items (Cont.)
▪ Notification and System icons
• Each Android® device has an area that contains system icons, such as the clock, battery status,
and status for Wi-Fi and provider networks.
• Apps such as email, text messaging, and Facebook® often display status icons to indicate
communication activity.
▪ To open the notification area on Android® devices, swipe down from the top of the screen.
• You can do the following when notifications are open:
• Respond to a notification by touching it.
• Dismiss a notification by swiping it off the screen to either side.
• Dismiss all notifications with the icon.
• Toggle often-used settings.
• Adjust the brightness of the screen.
• Open the Settings menu with the quick settings icon.
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Mobile Touch Interface
Lab – Working with Android
In this lab, you will place apps and widgets on the home screen and move them
between different screens. You will also create folders. Finally, you will install and
uninstall apps from the Android device.

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Mobile Touch Interface
iOS Home Screen Items
▪ iOS Interface
• The iOS® interface works in much the same way as the Android® interface, but there are some very
important differences:
• No navigation icons - A physical button may have to be pressed instead of touching navigation icons.
• No widgets - Only apps and other content can be installed on iOS® device screens.
• No app shortcuts - Each app on a home screen is the actual app, not a shortcut.

▪ Home button
• Unlike Android®, iOS® devices do not use navigation icons to perform functions.
• Some common functions performed by the home button include:
• Wake the device
• Return to the home screen.
• Start Siri® or voice control

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Mobile Touch Interface
iOS Home Screen Items (Cont.)
▪ iOS Notification Center
• iOS® devices have a notification center that displays all alerts in one location.
▪ Commonly used settings
• iOS® devices allow the user to quickly access common settings and switches, even while locked.
• From the commonly used settings screen, a user can:
• Toggle often used settings such as airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, do not disturb and screen rotation lock
• Adjust screen brightness
• Control the music player
• Access Airdrop
• Access Flashlight, Clock, Calendar and Camera

▪ iOS Spotlight
• Spotlight shows suggestions from many sources including the Internet, iTunes®, App Store, movie show
times, and nearby locations.
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Mobile Touch Interface
Lab – Working with iOS
In this lab, you will place apps on the home screen and move them between
different home screens. You will also create folders. Finally, you will install an app
on the iOS device and then uninstall it.

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4.3 Common Mobile Device
Features
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Common Mobile Device Features
Screen Orientation
▪ Screen Orientation
• Most mobile devices can be used in either portrait or landscape mode.
• A sensor inside the device known as an accelerometer, detects how it is being held and will change the
screen orientation appropriately.
• When the device is turned to landscape mode, the camera app also turns to landscape mode.
• Some devices also have gyroscopes to provide more accurate movement readings.
• Gyroscopes allow a device to be used as a control mechanism for driving games where the device itself acts as a
steering wheel.

▪ Android Screen Auto-Rotation Setting

• When using an Android device, to enable automatic rotation, go to Settings > Display > Advanced >
Auto-rotate screen.
▪ iOS Screen Auto-Rotation Setting
• When using an iOS device, to enable automatic rotation, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen
and tap the lock icon.
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Common Mobile Device Features
Screen Calibration
▪ Screen Calibration
• When bright sunlight makes the screen difficult to read, increase the brightness level.
• Inversely, very low brightness is helpful when reading a book on a mobile device at night.
• Some mobile devices can be configured to auto-adjust the brightness depending on the amount of
surrounding light.
• The device must have a light sensor to use auto-brightness

▪ Android Brightness Menu

• When using an Android device, to configure screen brightness, go to Settings > Display > Brightness >
slide the brightness to the desired level.
▪ iOS Display and Brightness Menu
• When using an iOS device, to configure screen brightness, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen
> slide the brightness bar up or down to vary the brightness.

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Common Mobile Device Features
GPS
▪ GPS
• Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation system that determines the time and geographical
location of the device by using messages from satellites in space and a receiver on Earth.
• A GPS radio receiver uses at least four satellites to calculate its position based on the messages.
• GPS services allow app vendors and website to know the location of a device and offer location-specific
services, which is called geotracking.
• Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) can determine device location by triangulating its proximity to other
radio signals such as Wi-Fi access-points.
▪ Android location services
• To enable GPS on Android devices use, Settings > Location > Tap on the toggle to turn location services
on
▪ iOS location services
• To enable GPS on iOS devices use, Settings > Privacy > Location services > Turn location services on

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Common Mobile Device Features
Lab – Mobile Device Features
In this lab, you will learn about mobile device features.

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Common Mobile Device Features
Wi-Fi Calling
▪ Wi-Fi Calling
• Instead of using the cellular carrier's network, modern smartphones can use the internet to transport
voice calls by taking advantage of a local Wi-Fi hotspot.
• If there is no Wi-Fi hotspot within reach, the phone will use the cellular carrier's network to transport voice calls.
• Wi-Fi calling is very useful in areas with poor cellular coverage because it uses a local Wi-Fi hotspot to
fill the gaps.
• The Wi-Fi hotspot must be able to guarantee a throughput of at least 1Mbps to the internet for a good quality call.

▪ Wi-Fi Calling on Android

• To enable Wi-Fi calling on Android go to Settings > More (under Wireless & networks section) > Wi-Fi
Calling > Tap on the toggle to turn it on
▪ Enabling Wi-Fi Calling on iOS
• To enable Wi-Fi calling on iOS go to Settings > Phone and turn on Wi-Fi Calling

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Common Mobile Device Features
Mobile Payments
▪ Mobile payments refer to any payments made through a mobile phone.
• Premium SMS based transactional payments - Consumers send an SMS message to a carrier's
special phone number containing a payment request and the seller is informed the payment has been
received and is cleared to release the goods.
• Direct Mobile Billing - Using a mobile billing option during check-out, a user identifies their self (usually
through two-factor authentication) and allows the charge to be added to the mobile service bill.
• Mobile Web Payments - The consumer uses the web or dedicated apps to complete the transaction.
• Contactless NFC (Near Field Communication) – This method is used mostly in physical store
transactions where a consumer pays for good or services by waving the phone near the payment
system.

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Common Mobile Device Features
Virtual Private Network
▪ A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a private network that uses a public network (usually the
internet) to connect remote sites or users together.
▪ Many companies create their own Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to accommodate the needs of
remote employees and distant offices.
• When a VPN is established from a client to a server, the client accesses the network behind the server
as if it was connected directly to that network.
• Because VPN protocols also allow for data encryption, the communication between client and server is
secure.
▪ Configuring a VPN Connection on Android
• To create a new VPN connection on Android go to Settings > More (under Wireless & networks
section) > VPN > Tap on the + sign to add a VPN connection
▪ Configuring a VPN Connection on iOS
• To create a new VPN connection on iOS go to Settings > General > VPN > Add VPN Configuration...

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Common Mobile Device Features
Virtual Assistants
▪ A digital assistant, sometimes called a virtual assistant, is a program that can understand natural
conversational language and perform tasks for the end user.
• These digital assistants rely on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and voice recognition technology
to understand conversational-style voice commands.
• By pairing simple voice requests with other inputs, such as GPS location, these assistants can perform
several tasks, including playing a specific song, performing a web search, taking a note, or sending an
email.
▪ Google Now
• To access Google Now on an Android device simply say "Okay google" and Google Now will activate
and start listening to requests
▪ Siri
• To access Siri on an iOS device, press and hold the Home button and Siri will activate and start
listening to requests.
• Alternatively, Siri can be configured to start listening when it hears "Hey Siri".
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4.4 Passcode Locks
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Screen Locks and Biometric Authentication
Lab – Passcode Locks
In this lab, you will set a passcode lock, change a passcode lock, and fail
passcode authentication. You will also configure the device to use your
fingerprints if it has biometric capability. Finally, you will remove the passcode
and biometric locks

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Screen Locks and Biometric Authentication
Restrictions on Failed Login Attempts
▪ When a passcode has been configured, unlocking a mobile device requires entering the correct
PIN, password, pattern, or another passcode type.
• In theory, a passcode, such as a PIN, could be guessed given enough time and perseverance.
▪ To prevent someone from trying to guess a passcode, mobile devices can be set to perform
defined actions after a certain number of incorrect attempts have been made.
• It is common that an Android device will lock when a passcode has failed from 4 to 12 times.
• After a device is locked, you can unlock it by entering the Gmail account information used to set up the device.

▪ iOS Erase Data

• If the passcode fails 10 times, the screen goes black, and all data on the device is deleted.
• To restore the iOS device and data, use either the Restore and Backup option in iTunes or iCloud.

▪ iOS GUI
• On iOS, to increase security, the passcode is used as part of the encryption key for the entire system.

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4.5 Cloud-Enabled Services
for Mobile Devices
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Cloud-Enabled Services for Mobile Devices
Remote Backup
▪ A remote backup is when a device copies its data to cloud storage
using a backup app.
• If data needs to be restored, run the backup app and access the
website to retrieve the data.
▪ Most mobile operating systems come with a user account linked to
the vendor’s cloud services, such as iCloud for iOS, Google Sync
for Android, and OneDrive for Microsoft.
• The user can enable automatic backups to the cloud for data, apps,
and settings.
▪ There are also third-party back providers, such as Dropbox, that
can be used.
▪ Another option is to configure Mobile Device Management (MDM)
software to automatically backup user devices.

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Cloud-Enabled Services for Mobile Devices
Locator Applications
▪ If a mobile device is misplaced or stolen, it is possible to
find it using a locator app.
▪ A locator app should be installed and configured on each
mobile device before it is lost.

▪ Both Android and iOS have apps for remotely locating a

device.
• Android Device Manager allows a user to locate, ring, or
lock a lost Android device, or to erase data from the
device.
• iOS users can use the Find My iPhone app
▪ After the device is located, you might be able to perform
additional functions, such as sending a message or
playing a sound.

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Cloud-Enabled Services for Mobile Devices
Remote Lock and Remote Wipe
▪ If attempts to locate a mobile device have failed, there
are other security features that can prevent data on the
device from being compromised.

▪ Two of the most common remote security features are:

▪ Remote Lock (iOS = lost mode, Android = Lock)

• Allows you to lock the device with a passcode, so others
cannot gain access to the data in the device.
▪ Remote Wipe (iOS = erase phone, Android = Erase)
• The remote wipe feature deletes all data from the device
and returns it to a factory state.
• To restore data to the device, Android users must set up
the device using a Gmail account, and iOS users must
synchronize their device to iTunes.

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4.6 Mobile Device Software
Security
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Software Security
Antivirus
▪ Smartphones and other mobile devices are vulnerable to malicious software.

▪ Depending on the permissions granted to antivirus apps when they are installed on an Android
device, the app might not be able to scan files automatically or run scheduled scans.

▪ iOS does not allow automatic or scheduled scans.

• This is a safety feature to prevent malicious programs from using unauthorized resources or
contaminating other apps or the OS.
▪ Mobile device apps run in a sandbox.
• A sandbox is a location of the OS that keeps code isolated from other resources and other code.
• It is difficult for malicious programs to infect a mobile device because apps are run inside the sandbox
• To prevent the malicious program from infecting additional devices, a firewall can be used.

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Software Security
Rooting and Jailbreaking
▪ Mobile operating systems are usually protected by a number of software restrictions.
• An unmodified copy of iOS, for example, will only execute authorized code and allow very limited user
access to its file system.
▪ Rooting and Jailbreaking are two methods for removing restrictions and protections added to
mobile operating systems.
• Rooting is used on Android devices to gain privileged or root level access for modifying code or
installing software that is not intended for the device.
• Jailbreaking is typically used on iOS devices to remove manufacturer restrictions allowing them to run
arbitrary user-code, grant users full access to the file system and full access to kernel modules.
▪ By rooting or jailbreaking a mobile device the GUI can be heavily customized, modifications can
be made to the OS to improve the speed and responsiveness of the device, and apps can be
installed from secondary or unsupported sources.

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Software Security
Patching and Updating Operating Systems
▪ Like the OS on a desktop or laptop, you can update or patch the OS on mobile devices.
• Updates add functionality or increase performance.
• Patches can fix security problems or issues with hardware and software.
▪ Android updates and patches use an automated process for delivery. When a carrier or
manufacturer has an update for a device, a notification on the device indicates that an update is
ready.
▪ iOS updates also use an automated process for delivery, and similar to Android, a notice to
download opens if updates are available.

▪ There are two types of updates for mobile device radio firmware.
• The Preferred Roaming List (PRL) is configuration information that a cellular phone needs to
communicate on networks other than its own so that a call can be made outside of the carrier’s network.
• The Primary Rate ISDN (PRI configures the data rates between the device and the cell tower. This
ensures that the device is able to communicate with the tower at the correct rate.

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4.7 Module Summary

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Summary
Module 4: What Did I Learn in this Module?
▪ Explain the purpose and characteristics of mobile operating systems.
• Compare the Android and iOS operating systems.
• Describe the features of the Android and iOS touch interfaces.
• Describe operating system features that are common among mobile devices.
• Explain how to configure various types of passcode locks.
• Describe Cloud-enabled services for mobile devices.
• Describe software security for mobile devices.

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