A method of gaining remote access to a mobile device peripheral, comprising: receiving data at a mobile device, the mobile device comprising: at least one portable operating system module; a peripheral control module; a remote control component within the peripheral control module; a machine virtualization mechanism that isolates the at least one operating system module from the peripheral control module; and an I/O virtualization mechanism interposed between the operating system module and the peripheral control module ; determining whether the received data comprises a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral; and performing a selected one of: executing the remote control command via the peripheral control module without forwarding the command to the operating system if the received data comprises a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral; or passing the received data to the operating system if the received data does not comprise a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral, wherein a virtualized network interface is employed in which all network traffic transiting the mobile device is routed through the remote control component within the peripheral control module. receiving data at a mobile device, the mobile device comprising: at least one portable operating system module; a peripheral control module; a remote control component within the peripheral control module; a machine virtualization mechanism that isolates the at least one operating system module from the peripheral control module; and an I/O virtualization mechanism interposed between the operating system module and the peripheral control module ; at least one portable operating system module; a peripheral control module; a remote control component within the peripheral control module; a machine virtualization mechanism that isolates the at least one operating system module from the peripheral control module; and an I/O virtualization mechanism interposed between the operating system module and the peripheral control module ; determining whether the received data comprises a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral; and performing a selected one of: executing the remote control command via the peripheral control module without forwarding the command to the operating system if the received data comprises a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral; or passing the received data to the operating system if the received data does not comprise a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral, wherein a virtualized network interface is employed in which all network traffic transiting the mobile device is routed through the remote control component within the peripheral control module. executing the remote control command via the peripheral control module without forwarding the command to the operating system if the received data comprises a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral; or passing the received data to the operating system if the received data does not comprise a remote control command to the mobile device peripheral, wherein a virtualized network interface is employed in which all network traffic transiting the mobile device is routed through the remote control component within the peripheral control module. <EOS>