02-10-2005, 08:00 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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IBM: Surge in Viruses and Worms Targeting Mobile Devices... Anticipated in 2005
"IBM's Global Business Security Index report includes an early view of potential trends in 2005: Mobile devices such as PDAs and cell phones are the new frontier for viruses, spam and other potential security threats. Bluetooth and other wireless technologies that connect mobile devices pose new exposures for hackers to target."
IBM have just released an interesting press release on the results of the 2004 Global Business Security Index Report. Among all the content, there was a point about mobile devices being the new target for viruses and worms - this year! At the moment, there is only a small bundle of malicious content targeting mobile devices, but this may increase in the not-too-distant future. Do you agree with IBM and believe that mobile devices will soon be the next target, or are they being over-ambitious at this stage? Let us know your thoughts.
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02-10-2005, 08:02 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 11
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Yes it will
Let us prepare!
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02-10-2005, 08:25 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 87
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I think they are preparing to sell a pocket pc anti-virus solution... 
On a serious note, viruses on the desktop are a HUGE issue because they are usually attached to the internet permantly. There is a conduit for viruses to come in and, upon infection, instantly spread again. Those are the keys, it infects, replicates, then destroys.
Viruses for the pocket pc will be few and far inbetween, until there is a virus that can spike Active Sync and infect pocket pc devices, but this is pure payload related, and not really likely to happen.
What I see happening, and I don't think this is soon, is adware will come to the pocket pc. Spike ActiveSync, it installs the spyware on every sync, and it displays pop-up like ads to tell you about this or that... and if you clean it off your desktop... how doe you clean it off your pocket pc?
Spyware has a goal on the pocket pc, viruses don't really have their goal fulfilled on the pocket pc... so, they won't be an issue...
Smartphones on the other hand.... well, those people might have to be wary... because if you can get data in from a cell connection, the virus has a way of leaving (even if it has to dial any number it can think of). Are you sure you want a smart phone? Viruses will be here, if anywhere... and it is going to happen, eventually.
My 2 cents...
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02-10-2005, 09:10 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 376
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In my opinion, virusis will spread widely in pocket pc's coz actually i already have an antivirus which was realesed in may 04, so it have been for a while... never know what will happen but its gonna spread widely... :twisted:
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02-10-2005, 09:33 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,305
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I think there is no question Pocket PC's will be a huge target for viruses.
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02-10-2005, 10:26 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 232
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It has been sitting here as a target for the past 4 years untouched.......now with more and more of the units shipping with telephony it will definatley become more of a target.
Ah almost fogot.....did you read all the way to the bottom?
Just another chance for IBM to push their Global Services division. :roll:
"About IBM Global Services
IBM Global Services is the world's largest information technology services and consulting provider. Some 190,000 professionals in more than 160 countries help clients integrate information technology with business value -- from the business transformation and industry expertise of IBM Business Consulting Services to hosting, infrastructure, technology design and training services. Leveraging IBM's unequalled scope and scale, IBM Global Services delivers integrated, flexible and resilient processes -- across companies and through business partners -- that enable clients to save money and transform their businesses to be more competitive. For more information, visit www.ibm.com/services."
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02-10-2005, 03:02 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 359
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I have to tell you all this virus hype is really just a pain to me. I mean anyone who is careful about what sites they visit, actually read what emails they get, and don't download virus laden porn and warez onto their computers can be connected to the internet for YEARS without ever getting a virus themselves.
The problem isn't so much the virus makers as it is the fact that any Tom, Dick, and Harry out there can go plop down a couple of bills and take a computer home just to visit a porn site to then send a mass virus email to other unsuspecting users.
The funny thing is I have ran antivirus software for years but have never had 1 blocked or even scanned and had one appear on my PC.
Anyone else think there needs to be a Internet drivers test?
As far as PPC protection goes who is going to wonder if your standard Antivirus package will also scan for PPC viruses upon software download before install or will you be FORCED to buy yet another package?
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02-10-2005, 03:38 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 437
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I don't see it as being all that much of a problem until our pocketable devices are MUCH more connected than they are now. My current devices (bluetooth/Activesync on the 2215 & only AS on the 3835) are really in no danger, my next device which will likely have wifi and gsm/gprs will perhaps be a little more exposed but still not a big deal.
When our devices have the capability of always-on high speed wireless internet accessible anywhere that is affordable to the masses... then we're in danger and THEN I'll worry about it.
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02-10-2005, 03:47 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PDANEWBIE
I have to tell you all this virus hype is really just a pain to me. I mean anyone who is careful about what sites they visit, actually read what emails they get, and don't download virus laden porn and warez onto their computers can be connected to the internet for YEARS without ever getting a virus themselves.
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Well, that used to be the case, but not any more. With the newer generation of port scanning viruses, you can get hit just by being on the Internet, if you aren't running a locked down hardware firewall.
I recently saw a report that if you connected a honeypot machine (Unpatched freshly installed Windows 2000 pro) to the Internet directly, the AVERAGE time to infection was of the order of 30 seconds. It's not at all nice out there! 8O
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02-10-2005, 04:08 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,202
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I don't think 2005 is the "year of the virus" for Windows Mobile Devices. First off, there just aren't enough WM devices around to excite Virus authors. Same reason we don't see Viruses for MAC or Linux PC's.
2nd, last I knew, Pocket IE doesn't support ActiveX, a popular tool used to plant spyware, trojans, etc onto PC's.
3rd, Pocket Inbox doesn't even support HTML mail, plain text only. A mobile user would have to specifically tap and open a malicicous email attachment to run a virus, and the virus writer has no way of knowing the attachment will be opened on a Mobile device vs. an XP machine. (See #1 above).
4th, Most mobile devices, by virture of short battery life, are not connected to the internet 24x7, almost all connection to the internet is via some sort of proxy - WiFi, GPRS, etc.
This is a bunch of hype by companies that want to sell you AntiVirus software. I remember McAfee version 7.0 included Virus scanning for mobile devices, it insisted on scanning everything each time I ran ActiveSync, and it was almost impossible to stop it, even though I knew there were NO viruses that could be run on my handheld.
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