UK-based security vendor, SentryBay has announced it has developed technology that can prevent the risk of key logging on mobile devices. The technology consists of separate elements including a secure keyboard, screen capture protection, encryption of keystrokes, generation of fake random characters and a new software class for entry fields.
This is not SentryBay’s first foray into combatting key logging. In 2012 it announced a US patent that was based on its EntryProtect technology to combat key logging on PC’s. That technology has already been deployed in a number of other SentryBay products.
This new technology, as yet unnamed on the company’s website, is not yet designed for IT security pros or users but for developers. It comes as an Software Development Kit (SDK) that they can use when writing their own device drivers or applications. This will play well in the developer community where competitive pressure mean that developers are looking for any edge when bringing their app to market.
Obvious targets here are financial applications and it will be interesting to see how quickly the current developers of mobile banking applications sign up to use the SDK. The rise of wearables capturing healthcare data is another market where SentryBay could do well.
According to SentryBay CEO Dave Waterson: “For a long time we have been a leader in PC-based anti-keylogging technology, but after years of R&D we finally feel the solution we have developed for mobile can provide the strong data entry security that app developers are looking for.”
Waterson also announced that SentryBay is currently planning to integrate the technology into their existing mobile solutions but stopped short of saying when it would be available.
SentryBay an attractive acquisition target
This announcement comes at an opportune time given recent security announcements. Dell has just released its latest Annual Threat Report where it concentrated heavily on the threat to Point of Sale (POS) and payment systems. Dell also highlighted future concerns over mobile malware, wearables and connected vehicles. This announcement from SentryBay provides part of the solution to the issues raised by Dell and it will be interesting to see if Dell licences the technology for its own security solutions or looks to acquire SentryBay.
Dell is not the only big player who will be interested in this announcement. IBM Trusteer is already the most popular protection software for banks to protect their online customers but IBM has not given any information about how it combats key logging. It is not unreasonable that IBM could either look to license this technology from SentryBay or even look at acquiring the company as Brendan Hannigan looks to make IBM Security one of the company’s most profitable divisions.
