LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 – PRIVACY & SECURITY, THE HAGUE: Mats Granryd, director general of the GSMA, opened the event by warning that mobile operators must keep the protection of subscriber privacy at the front of their thinking, with new challenges already on the horizon.

Granryd told an audience that, in addition to privacy, operators have to secure subscriber data, act transparently, ensure private communications stay that way and assure financial transactions are carried out safely.

Already, the GSMA has its Mobile Privacy Initiative in place which established universal guidelines to allay consumer concerns.  Within the initiative, the GSMA published its Mobile Privacy Principles in 2011, as well as design guidelines for app developers a year later.

And Granryd also pushed the association’s efforts in the area of identity and authentication. The GSMA head said its Mobile Connect initiative – aiming to allow consumers to use mobile phone credentials to securely and safely access digital services such as e-commerce, banking, health, entertainment and e-government – has seen “fantastic” uptake.

“In February, we announced there are more than two billion enabled users globally, with 34 mobile operators,” he commented. “We’re now focused on developing the Mobile Connect ecosystem, increasing the services linked up to Mobile Connect.”

But new areas of concern are emerging, said Granryd: “As billions of devices become connected via the Internet of Things, the possibility of potential vulnerabilities increases.”

“It is essential to consider end-to-end security of IoT services in the design process,” he added.

The GSMA has developed guidelines for IoT security, likely to be a key subject at this week’s event. The initiative is backed by leading operators, vendors and infrastructure partners. The guidelines offer a common approach to security for IoT services, as well as practical advice on cyber security threats and data privacy.

“There will be many new challenges on the horizon as we embrace the Internet of Things, big data, wearable technology, drones – whatever the next disruptive technology may be,” concluded Granryd.