M4.9 Short Paper; Issues Related to automatic Updates in mobile application

Introduction

Vulnerabilities and issues related to auto-updates in mobile applications happen too often. Take the following scenario for example.

Adam rushed back from his office after receiving an urgent call from his wife. He received a message from the phone manufacturer that there was an update for the OS on his phone. The message came through as a text message. He clicked the link to install the update on his mobile phone. After clicking the link he realized that it did not actually come from the manufacturer but it was a phishing scam. Adam realizes his mistake, but as he looked at his screen it was locked and all his data and the important information were lost.

Instructions

Based on the scenario, submit a 1-2 page short paper that addresses the following:

Identify the possible steps in a phishing scam.
List the measures that could have avoided this situation.
How could two-factor authentication have helped with the installation of an update?
Analyze the pros and cons of having auto-updates enabled on mobile devices.
Describe how the update process differs between Apple and Android.