Disqus
Anti-virus firm Panda Security is reporting that Adware accounted for the most malware infections in the first quarter of 2008 – and it predicts a rise in mobile phone viruses.
Some other highlights include:
- viruses of note: SymbOS/Beselo and WinCE/InfoJack.A
- appearance of the first iPhone Trojan
- 90.34% of mobile malware targets the Symbian platform, 4.14% targets Windows Mobile, 3.35% targets Palm OS, and 2.07% targets J2ME
Panda’s view is that popularity attracts malware (a fair enough statement) – but still the means by which they can reach mobile devices are more limited, due to the common barrier of the MNO’s IP network before reaching the internet, and the typically-reduced complexity of devices.
However, Panda envisages this changing with the ongoing sales of devices like the iPhone:
“Given that there’s but a single known iPhone Trojan, it’s tempting to dismiss the idea of iMalware as iFearmongering. But check back after the sale of 10 or 20 million iPhones and Panda may well have the last laugh. Where there’s a mass market, cybercriminals are sure to follow”
Hmm – is “iFearmongering” actually a word, or an example of horrific grammar abuse? I’ll let you decide 
[Via: Information Week]
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
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Steve Litchfield
