Secure Mobile Computing: Windows Mobile OS

Windows Mobile Operating System

Features

Most versions of Windows Mobile have a standard set of features, such as multitasking and the ability to navigate a file system similar to that of Windows 9x and Windows NT, including support for many of the same file types. Similarly to its desktop counterpart, it comes bundled with a set of applications that perform basic tasks.

Internet Explorer Mobile is the default web browser, and Windows Media Player is the default media playerused for playing digital media. The mobile version of Microsoft Office, is the default office suite.

Internet Connection Sharing, supported on compatible devices, allows the phone to share its Internet connection with computers via USB and Bluetooth. Windows Mobile supports virtual private networking over PPTPprotocol.

Most devices with mobile connectivity also have a Radio Interface Layer. The Radio Interface Layer provides the system interface between the Cell Core layer within the Windows Mobile OS and the radio protocol stack used by the wireless modem hardware. This allows OEMs to integrate a variety of modems into their equipment.

The user interface changed dramatically between versions, only retaining similar functionality. The Today Screen, later called the Home Screen, shows the current date, owner information, upcoming appointments, e-mails, and tasks. The taskbar display the current time as well as the volume level. Devices with a cellular radio also show the signal strength on said taskbar.

Development

Software Development

Is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process.

Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products.

Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users(the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task).

Embedded Software Development

That is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.

The need for better quality control of the software development process has given rise to the discipline of software engineering, which aims to apply the systematic approach exemplified in the engineering paradigm to the process of software development.

There are many approaches to software project management, known as software development life cycle models, methodologies, processes, or models. The waterfall model is a traditional version, contrasted with the more recent innovation of agile software development.

Architecture

The Hardware is composed of ARM 7 CPU, Direct X 9 Capable GPU, 256 MB RAM, Capacitative multi touch display with required Physical buttons. Kernel Handles low level device driver access as well as basic security, networking and storage. The three libraries App Model, UI Model and Cloud Integration Model sit above the kernel for application management and notifications. Application facing APIs include silver light, HTMl/Java Script and CLR that supports C#.Net and VB.Net applications. 2.7.1 Advantages: Multitasking, Feature additions, Multimedia, Camera Technology. 2.8 Firefox OS: Developed by Mozilla Corporation exclusively for web based mobile devices.

Security Technology / Model

Mobile Security

As the content consumed around the globe shifts even further from web-based content to content consumed on mobile, it’s critical that anyone developing software for mobile devices is committing to proper security throughout the development cycle. https://www.nextlogik.com/which-mobile-os-is-most-secure-ios-android-or-windows-slideshare/

"Over 7 billion mobile devices are being used today all around the world and their number is multiplying 5 times faster than human beings," said Emmanuel Benzaquen, CEO of Checkmarx. "With the huge amounts of private information being transferred worldwide through these devices, the need for strong mobile security has become paramount. Mobile application security is a huge challenge and only robust application code can help organizations provide the users with the security they need, expect and deserve."

Windows Phone Security Vulnerabilities

Applications for Windows Phone are written C++ which presents security concerns for developers and users alike.

Version History

Windows Embedded Compact, formerly Windows Embedded CE and Windows CE, is an operating system subfamily developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows Embedded family of products.

Pocket PC 2000, originally codenamed "Rapier",was released on April 19, 2000, and was based on Windows CE 3.0 and 2000. It was the debut of what was later dubbed the Windows Mobile operating system, and meant to be a successor to the operating system aboard Palm-Size PCs. Backwards compatibility was retained with such Palm-Size PC applications. Pocket PC 2000 was intended mainly for Pocket PC devices, however several Palm-Size PC devices had the ability to be updated also.

Pocket PC 2002, originally codenamed "Merlin",was released in October 2001. Like Pocket PC 2000, it was powered by Windows CE 3.0. Although targeted mainly for 240×320 (QVGA) Pocket PC devices, Pocket PC 2002 was also used for Pocket PC phones, and for the first time, Smartphones.These Pocket PC 2002 Smartphones were mainly GSM devices.

Windows Mobile 2003, originally codenamed "Ozone",is a discontinued mobile operating system and part member of Windows Mobile family. It was released on June 23, 2003, and was the first Microsoft OS to be called "Windows Mobile". It was based on Windows CE 4.20.

Windows Mobile SE Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, also known as "Windows Mobile 2003 SE", was released on March 24, 2004, was based on the Windows CE 4.x kernel, and first offered on the Dell Axim x30. This was the last version which allowed users to back up and restore an entire device through ActiveSync.

Windows Mobile 5.0, originally codenamed "Magneto", was released at Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference 2005 in Las Vegas, May 9–12, 2005. Microsoft offered mainstream support for Windows Mobile 5 through October 12, 2010, and extended support through October 13, 2015. It was first offered on the Dell Axim x51. It used the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP3, an environment for programs based on .NET

Windows Mobile 6, formerly codenamed "Crossbow",was released on February 12, 2007at the 3GSM World Congress 2007. It comes in three different versions: "Windows Mobile 6 Standard" for Smartphones (phones with touchscreens), "Windows Mobile 6 Professional" for Pocket PCs with phone functionality, and "Windows Mobile 6 Classic" for Pocket PCs without cellular radios.

Windows Mobile 6.1 was announced on April 1, 2008. It is a minor upgrade to the Windows Mobile 6 platform with various performance enhancements and a redesigned Home screen featuring horizontal tiles that expand on clicking to display more information, although this new home screen is featured only on Windows Mobile Standard edition.

Windows Mobile 6.5 is a stopgap update to Windows Mobile 6.1 intended to bridge the gap between version 6.1, that arrived in 2008, and the then yet-to-be released Windows Phone 7.

It was never part of Microsoft's original mobile phone roadmap, and has been described by its former chief executive Steve Ballmer as "not the full release Microsoft wanted" (which later became Windows Phone 7).Ballmer also indicated that the company "screwed up with Windows Mobile", lamenting that Windows Mobile 7 was not yet available and that the Windows Mobile team needed to try to recoup losses.

References

References Features
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Mobile