[February 20, 2013]

Metaforic Expands Patented Software Immune System For Mobile Applications

Metaforic, the innovative software security company, today announced its flagship product line is now also available for mobile applications written in Objective-C, the most commonly used software language on Apple (News - Alert) iOS platforms. With state-of-the-art protection against a variety of offline and runtime attacks, including unwanted method swizzling, Metaforic's enhanced offering will make it easier for developers on this popular platform to automatically incorporate unparalleled security into their applications.

"Delivering robust security while maintaining usability is one of the top priorities any consumer or enterprise developer aspires to today," stated Maribel Lopez (News - Alert), Founder of Lopez Research. "With 67 percent of enterprises ranking mobile security as a company's greatest concern with mobility, it's imperative that businesses have a robust way to secure mobile applications."

Using Metaforic technology, application developers can automatically infuse a patented immune system into their applications to ensure they can defend themselves from malware, subversion, tampering, or other attacks, protecting both themselves and their users. Building security directly into the application is particularly critical on iOS since Apple restricts third party security applications, such as anti-malware offerings or BYOD protection.

One especially challenging security threat for iOS applications is method swizzling, which is an integral part of Objective-C, but which hackers and malware can easily use to swap in alternative functionality. For example, an application could use a fake authentication process rather than the intended one, send confidential account information to an external party, or essentially execute whatever the hacker desires. Metaforic technology uniquely protects against application patching that uses this approach, and delivers a higher level of security on iOS than previously available in the market.

Metaforic's new support for Objective-C on iOS adds to Metaforic's wide array of supported platforms, including Android, BlackBerry (News - Alert), Linux, Mac OS and Windows. By adding Objective-C support, Metaforic now offers its world-class application protection across the majority of the Apple iOS application community (with C and C++ already covered), fulfilling the demands of developers from a wide variety of key industries including, mobile financial, digital media distribution and enterprise mobility.

This release includes:

• Metaforic Core™, which enables software developers to infuse a software immune system into iOS applications to defend it against attacks to the application logic or static data
• Metaforic Concealer™, which allows sensitive data items such as encryption keys to be held in a crypto format to protect against exfiltration and modification

These products create a high-security version of the application, protecting against major threats, including:

• Real-time or offline subversion
• Software repackaging
• Targeted malware modifications
• Man-in-the-middle and man-at-the-end attacks
• Replacement or discovery of keys

Any unwanted change to a Metaforic protected application triggers a response, which may be customized as required. Metaforic's unique, patented automated integration functionality does not require development involvement or security expertise and uses both static and dynamic analysis of the application to ensure the highest possible level of security.

About Metaforic

Metaforic is a leader in software security, protecting software from the inside out, so that critical programs can safely run in hostile or imperfectly protected operating environments. Metaforic software immunization technology defends virtually any software from subversion, theft, piracy, tampering or other corruption. It is proven in millions of deployed instances, from consumer devices to business software. Only software protected by Metaforic earns the Mark of Security distinction. Offices are located in the United States, Europe and Japan. Further information is available at www.metaforic.com.

Metaforic, the Metaforic logo and The Mark of Security are trademarks or registered trademarks of Metaforic Ltd., and its affiliated companies in the United States and other countries.

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