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The Federal Trade Commission will host a one-day public forum on June 4, 2013 addressing malware, viruses and similar threats facing users of smartphones and other mobile technologies.

As the use of mobile technology increases at a rapid rate and consumers take advantage of the technology’s benefits in large numbers, it is important to address potential threats that exist today, as well as those that may emerge in the future. The forum will bring together stakeholders such as technology researchers, industry members and academics to explore these issues.

The forum will focus on the security of existing and developing mobile technologies and the roles various members of the mobile ecosystem can play in protecting consumers from these types of security threats. The forum will serve to inform the Commission about the current mobile security environment and facilitate an exploration of potential challenges that may arise as consumer use of mobile technology continues to grow.

The Commission invites technology researchers and other interested parties to recommend topics for discussion and to submit requests to serve as panelists on a wide variety of topics affecting U.S. consumers. These could include emerging mobile security threats and trends, security challenges in the mobile environment and infrastructure, potential solutions to mobile threats, password and authentication strategies for lost or stolen devices, industry best practices for preventing or reducing risks associated with mobile devices and next generation products and services. 

Recommendations for topics for discussion and requests to serve as panelists should be submitted electronically to mobilethreats@ftc.gov by March 28, 2013, and should include information about the parties’ expertise on the issues they propose to address, and complete contact information. The Commission will select panelists based on expertise and the need to represent a range of views about the issues. Panelists selected to participate will be notified by April 23, 2013.  For questions, contact Emily Cope Burton at 202-326-2728 or Colleen Robbins at 202-326-2548. The FTC also invites those interested to submit written comments to mobilethreats@ftc.gov on any of the topics mentioned above.

The event is free and open to the public. The forum will be held at the FTC’s satellite building conference center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.