News and Analysis

Computer science researchers have developed a new technique for identifying security vulnerabilities that expose people to account takeover attacks. The researchers simulated the account hacking process, modelling how account access changes if devices, SIM cards or apps are disconnected. This methodology, which uses formal logic, was tested on both Apple and Android devices, identifying a security fix for iPhones while confirming certain Android security features provide protection against attacks. The researchers’ findings are published in the Proceedings of the 28th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security.