In Novembr of last year, Android app developer Trevor Eckhart exposed that the Carrier IQ app has been secretly logging keystrokes and other mobile activities on smartphones across the board. The incident jarred many mobile users, even prompting some app makers to create software to monitor CarrierIQ’s activity.  But some were unfortunate enough to download a Trojan posing as a Carrier IQ solution, reiterating the growing concern over mobile device safety and rules of conduct for businesses and service providers.

Since then, Carrier IQ has been exerting extra effort to turn things around.  At Mobile World Congress, the company showed off their IQ Care product retrofitted with a customer-facing “dashboard” that will allow them to see “health and performance of their device, applications, battery life, network coverage and dropped calls.”

Carrier IQ faced a lot of scrutiny when people found out what they were doing, so the point of the upgraded IQ Care product id to let the public in on what they are up to.  By giving the data to the user, you can see why you battery loses juice so quickly, or why you’re experiencing more dropped calls than normal.

This new feature isn’t available to everyone, as it will be up to the carriers to integrate the feature for their users.

But aside from the Carrier IQ scandal, mobile users are faced with a lot of other nuisances like aggressive ads, Facebook snooping in on your text messages, and a multitude of malware.  Good thing security companies are always on their toes and keeps up with the malicious progress.

Mobile Security Toughens Up

Lookout Mobile Security’s Ad Network Detector

Lookout Mobile Security recently released the Ad Network Detector –  an app that helps users understand if they have an ad network on their phone “ that [is] capable of pushing out-of-app ads to the default Android notification bar, placing generically designed icons on the mobile desktop, and changing browser settings, like bookmarks or homepage.”

Voltage Security’s Voltage Security Mobile Plus

Voltage Security, a leader in data-centric encryption and key management, announced the Voltage Security Mobile Plus – a comprehensive initiative to extend the company’s existing mobile security solutions to protect the new generation of mobile devices, applications and data.  Voltage is building on its leadership in data-centric protection for business-critical sensitive data, wherever it is and wherever it might go.

“The Voltage Security Mobile Plus initiative builds on our leadership in delivering data-centric encryption to the largest companies in the world,” said Mark Bower, vice president of product management at Voltage Security. “We are taking our expertise in data-centric security, and our encryption and key management leadership, and building a comprehensive set of data-centric mobile security solutions for email, files, data and payments security.”

McAfee’s Enterprise Mobility Management

McAfee announced at Mobile World Congress a series of technology advancements that deliver upon its vision of providing comprehensive mobile security and privacy protection for devices, data and apps.  The McAfee Enterprise Mobility Management 10.0, available now, includes significant security updates for enterprise customers to enable ‘bring your own device’ practices in the enterprise. With EMM 10.0, IT professionals will have improved control to identify, secure, and assign policies to both employee- and business-owned smartphones and tablets.

“Mobile devices are continuing to grow rapidly and have become a staple in work life and play,” said John Thode, executive vice president and general manager of McAfee’s consumer, mobile and small business unit. “As a result, consumers and organizations need to ensure these devices are protected from device loss, data theft and malware that can be distributed via direct downloads, links, email attachments and text messaging. We’re excited about our 2012 line-up of mobile security products and the new features and functionality that will help smartphone and tablet users experience a worry-free mobile computing experience.”