Mozy Mobile App 1.4

Mozy product manager Ted Haeger posted a blog on the new security features of the version 1.4 of Mozy app for both Android and iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch).

Haeger promises to post more on the new features, but for now he is focusing on security in the Mozy app.

The convenience of having all your Mozy-protected files at your fingertips is enormous. But mobile devices frequently get misplaced, lost or stolen.

Mozy app v1.4 introduces
the following new security measures
to ensure privacy in such situations:

• Token-based Authorization – The Mozy app has switched to using an access token instead of your password. Although previous versions always used strong encryption to store the password, this new token-based system keeps the Mozy app from storing your password at all. That sets the stage for the next (and frequently requested) security feature…
• Remote De-authorization – If your mobile device goes missing, gets stolen, or you’re just not sure where you put it, you can just go to your account page and select forget mobile password. When you do, it stops all access from the mobile app until you log in again, but your computers running Mozy online backup or Stash continue to work without disruption. (In other words, it expires just the app’s current token-it doesn’t change your password.)
• Automatic De-authorization – As in previous versions of the app, if you choose to protect the app with a passcode (PIN), the app will automatically log out after 5 incorrect PIN attempts. The difference now is that instead of forgetting your password, the app now forgets its access token. (This also happens if you choose to log out manually from the app.)
• Automatic Data Wipe – When you remotely de-authorize the app from your account, the app now removes any locally-stored data when launched. This includes: files you have marked as favorite on iOS, files downloaded to SD storage on Android, and even any usernames that the login screen had previously remembered.
• Local File Encryption – If you use a personal key to encrypt your Mozy data, the Mozy app will now keep any downloaded files encrypted on local storage. It decrypts them when you share by email or send a file to another app.

Since many people use mobile apps these days, such updates are necessary. It gives a peace of mind knowing that if your mobile device is lost, you can control your data by logging in to your account on your laptop or pc and block access to your data.