Browser blacklists: The Utopia of phishing protection

N. Tsalis, N. Virvilis, A. Mylonas, T. Apostolopoulos, D. Gritzalis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mobile devices-especially smartphones-have gained widespread adoption in recent years, due to the plethora of features they offer. The use of such devices for web browsing, accessing email services and social networking is also getting continuously more popular. The same holds true for other more sensitive online activities, such as online shopping, contactless payments, and web banking. However, the security mechanisms available on smartphones are not yet mature, while their effectiveness is still questionable. As a result, smartphone users face increased risks when performing sensitive online activities with their devices, compared to desktop/laptop users. In this paper, we present an evaluation of the phishing protection mechanisms that are available with the popular web browsers of the Android and iOS platform. Following, we compare the protection they offer against their desktop counterparts, revealing and analyzing the significant gap between the two. Finally, we provide a comparison between the Safe Browsing API implementation in Google Chrome and the Safe Browsing Lookup API, revealing significant inconsistencies between the two mechanisms.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationE-Business and Telecommunications - 11th International Joint Conference, ICETE 2014, Revised Selected Papers
EditorsMohammad S. Obaidat, Joaquim Filipe, Andreas Holzinger
PublisherSpringer Nature
Pages278-293
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9783319259147
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Event11th International Joint Conference on E-Business and Telecommunications, ICETE 2014 - Vienna, Austria
Duration: 28 Aug 201430 Aug 2014

Publication series

NameCommunications in Computer and Information Science
Volume554
ISSN (Print)1865-0929

Conference

Conference11th International Joint Conference on E-Business and Telecommunications, ICETE 2014
Country/TerritoryAustria
CityVienna
Period28/08/1430/08/14

Keywords

  • Android
  • Chrome
  • iOS
  • Mobile
  • Phishing
  • Safe browsing lookup API
  • Security
  • Smartphone
  • Web browser
  • Windows

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Browser blacklists: The Utopia of phishing protection'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this