Mobile phones are one of the essential parts of modern life. Making a phone call is
not the main purpose of a smart phone anymore, but merely one of many other features.
Online social networking, chatting, short messaging, web browsing, navigating, and
photography are some of the other features users enjoy in modern smartphones, most
of which are provided by mobile apps.
However, with this advancement, many security vulnerabilities have opened up in these
devices. Malicious apps are a major threat for modern smartphones. Protecting everyday
users of mobile devices from the attacks of technologically competent hackers, illegitimate
users, trolls, and eavesdroppers is a complex task.
We have developed techniques for identifying a smartphone application's intentions,
ensuring that the application only does what is expected, and identifying requests
for abilities that are not required for the application's purpose.