Thread: Be prepared for the year of mobile malware

Mod Edit: The following post originally came from here. Please do not rep or thanks this thread as it was not written by the poster.

The number of types of attack on mobile devices may not be growing, but circumstances are conspiring to create a genuine threat, says Rik Ferguson, Security Adviser @ Trend Micro.

The rise in threats to mobile devices is definitely real, although still a long way from reaching epidemic proportions. The real message for the coming months is about preparedness.

There were a limited number of new threats in 2009, but a significant increase in their complexity and criminal intent. Signs are that consumer acceptance of mobile phone-based financial activity is now mainstream, with handset banking applications even being advertised on prime-time television.

Rudimentary botnets
It is true to say that the threat is growing, but it is really more in complexity than in sample size. In fact, some commentators have noted that the raw number of malicious code samples has actually dropped over recent years.

Social engineering
It is difficult to say whether one mobile operating system is more or less vulnerable than another, as again vulnerability is influenced by user behaviour to a large degree. Most handset operating systems enforce code-signing, meaning no unauthorised code can be run, but the user is free to disable this.

[SIZE=2]Mobile malware will be driven by consumer behaviour. Online crime is about money and as more mobile devices are used for web browsing, banking or storing personal information, their attractiveness will increase. The lack of a dominant vendor is also a mitigating factor, but in the world of exploits and malware, most attacks are now aimed at applications, rather than operating systems.

Here is the original source: http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security/2010/03/18/be-prepared-for-the-year-of-mobile-malware-40052437

Unfortunately, It was unevitable. Maybe Android will survive. I mean Android is like linux. It's free, open source, and we can install it on anyphone who support it. If we check the Iphone, its the most popular and we can compare it like windows... What do you think ?

Good post raj4invites!
I think I agree with you that the rapidly increasing popularity of smartphones will be paired with an increase in malware for them. I think it's similar to when 'the masses' took to the internet, largely unaware of viruses and other malware.
Nowadays however everyone knows that viruses exist and that you should be mindful about security online. Hopefully some of that awareness will translate to the smartphones as well.

Originally Posted by Raisin

Unfortunately, It was unevitable. Maybe Android will survive. I mean Android is like linux. It's free, open source, and we can install it on anyphone who support it. If we check the Iphone, its the most popular and we can compare it like windows... What do you think ?

I so hope you're right. I would die if my Android phone got crippled by a virus...

**** the people who make these things. I want to keep the death penalty legal until all of these people are done for :cursing:

All you have to do is get malwarebytes, that usually find alot of errors on my pc's, free as well..

I don't think it's likely for an unjailbroken iPhone to get a virus. While Apple's security measures on the iPhone may be very oppressive, they do make it very difficult for viruses to get in. Cell phones with BREW are probably unlikely to get viruses as well.

It's a trade-off. As mobile devices become more capable and more open, they become more vulnerable to attack. I personally would rather have an open device that, if unsecured, could potentially get a virus than a closed device that wouldn't likely ever get any viruses.

raj4invites, please credit the person who took the time to write what you just posted. Copying other people's work is not cool. In fact it's plagiarism. Infraction given and be glad its not a ban.

Hello JustJenna,

Sorry for this.

I have done clarification and I am sure that I will not do this again. :)

I hope now you will remove your message from the thread...