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44. Mobile Device Security – Android, iPhone, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

44.9 Hardening Checklist and Permission-Hygiene Lab

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Quick answer: the short, self-contained version of this lesson is the guide Android Safe App Install and Sideload Risks.

Print for Rani's staff briefing:

  1. Screen lock: PIN / passphrase + biometrics; short auto-lock
  2. Encryption at rest: modern Android / iOS with lock enabled (default path) – do not leave devices unlocked
  3. OS + app updates weekly habit
  4. App permissions: revoke mic/camera/SMS you do not need
  5. Stores only; unknown sources off
  6. MFA on Apple / Google / email / bank
  7. Bluetooth / Wi-Fi hygiene (44.7–44.8)
  8. MDM enrollment for company phones
  9. Backup strategy that does not re-poison after wipe
  10. Lost-phone: track / wipe + account revoke same day
# OWN host-only lab – tiny "mobile portal" target for later project (Amazon Linux)
# On 192.168.56.50:
sudo yum install httpd php
sudo service httpd start
sudo service httpd status
# Place a deliberate weak PHP login under /var/www/html/mobile/ (lab only)
# From Kali 192.168.56.10 – ONLY host-only:
# curl -s http://192.168.56.50/mobile/login.php
Red team (attacker) does Blue team (defender) detects / stops
Hopes staff never review permissions Monthly permission hygiene drill
Uses stolen phone unlocked Auto-lock + wipe + encryption
Targets EOL Android without patches Hardware refresh policy

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

A checklist wallpaper is useful – but prove it on the emulator: revoke a permission → an app feature breaks → the user understands why the grant mattered. Got it?

Lab

Path A: Android emulator – install a harmless demo app you built / a known open lab APK; grant then revoke Storage / Camera; screenshot. Path B: browser-only – review permissions pages on YOUR phone Settings. Path C: stand up weak HTTP mobile login on .50 for the project. Ethics signature: own devices only.

Extended teaching notes

Why this lesson matters

Hardening is deleting unnecessary risk: fewer packages, fewer open ports, fewer privileged accounts, faster patches, better logs.

Hardening related services

[('SSH', 'Key auth, no root login, Fail2ban or equivalent, SG limited to your IP/VPN.', '', ''), ('SMB / NFS / LDAP / SNMP', 'Do not expose to the internet; patch; strong auth; disable unused versions (e.g. SMBv1).', '', ''), ('SMTP', 'Authenticated relay only; SPF/DKIM/DMARC for your domains.', '', ''), ('DNS', 'Restrict zone transfers; monitor for unexpected records (crt.sh for certs).', '', ''), ('Firewalls', 'Host firewall + cloud SG/NSG; default deny; document every allow.', '', '')]

Real examples

Global: CIS Benchmarks exist for Linux, Windows and clouds. Indian company (sample): a Pune team requires SSH keys only and weekly patch windows for internet-facing hosts.

Mini case study

Suppose we are on a purple-team exercise for an Indian mid-size company (sample data). Red notes a technique from this lesson against a lab clone. Blue must show the control that stops it, the log that would have fired, and the ticket that hardens production. That is the standard this course trains you for.

Defender's worksheet (do this today)

  1. Write the lesson title, date and the exact lab target you are allowed to use.
  2. List three owned systems (VMs, apps, or cloud accounts) where this lesson applies.
  3. Run one safe check from the lesson on a lab system only. Paste the command and output.
  4. Write a two-sentence fix you would give a teammate.
  5. Name one related public advisory (CERT-In, CISA, NVD, or a vendor bulletin) with its date.

Indian workplace (sample data)

Suppose we are a junior analyst at Infosys, TCS, Wipro or a fintech SOC in Bengaluru/Pune. Turn this lesson into one checklist item with an owner, a due date and a place to store evidence (ticket + screenshot).

Global practice

Compare your notes with OWASP, CIS Benchmarks, NIST CSF/IR guidance or a cloud Well-Architected security question. Write five lines on what overlaps.

Everyday analogy

Explain the risk and the fix to a family member without jargon. If they can repeat the warning, you understand it well enough to teach juniors.

Key terms

  • Control: a safeguard (patch, config, process, detection).
  • Finding: a weakness backed by evidence.
  • Remediation: the fix plus how you verified it.
  • Scope: systems you have written permission to touch.
  • Least privilege: only the access the task needs.
  • Defence in depth: several layers so one failure does not end the story.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping written permission "just for a quick scan".
  • Practising on hostel, office or public targets without authorisation.
  • Collecting tool output without writing the fix.
  • Copying attack steps onto production to "verify". Defenders verify with versions, configs and patches.
  • Publishing screenshots that contain secrets, cookies or internal hostnames.

Recap

  • Evidence, fix, owner, date.
  • Own lab only.
  • Fix > spectacle.