CSE Alum Jon Oberheide Named One of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Technology

Jon Oberheide, CSE PhD 2011, has been named one of 30 leading young innovators in the technology space by Forbes for his work in mobile security.

While working as a PhD student in Michigan in Prof. Farnam Jahanian‘s security group, Oberheide exposed a number of critical vulnerabilities in the Android operating system that affected hundreds of millions of handsets. In one such exploit, he was able to send a malicious link to an Android user via an email, text message, or web page, and by simply clicking on the link the user would load malware onto their handset. In another Android exploit, Oberheide demonstrated a process for taking control of a handset by releasing fake or unauthorized apps based on popular media, such as Angry Birds or Twilight-themed apps, that would, once installed, rootkit the device and give themselves privileges to monitor usage, collect data, or otherwise wreak havoc.

Dr. Oberheide was also recognized by Forbes for his role at Duo Security, the start-up he founded two years ago that provides two-factor authentication using mobile devices. Duo Security uses smartphone apps to prove identity, allowing users to easily generate passcodes without the cost and hassle of hardware tokens. Oberheide is currently CTO at Duo Security.

Read More:

Jon Oberheide, Forbes 30 Under 30 in Technology