Mike Temporale
11-25-2004, 03:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4033231.stm' target='_blank'>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4033231.stm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Those downloading the software could find all the icons on their 7610 phone swapped for images of skulls. When installed the malicious program also locks many of the 7610's functions making it hard to use and harder to repair. The program is only the latest in a series of viruses produced to attack mobile phones. The file, nicknamed Skulls, is thought to have surfaced on shareware sites where people can pick up free add-ons, such as wallpaper, games and ringtones, for their phones. Symbian said that it was not sure if the damage Skulls does was intentional or simply a result of bad programming."</i><br /><br />This is not the first virus to hit the Symbian platform, however I do believe it is the first malicious one. And I'll help you out on this one Symbian, it's not the result of bad programming. :wink: The virus is not self-propagating, meaning it relies on human interaction to get installed on the phone. So the threat is greatly reduced.<br /><br />I wonder how something like this would fair on a Windows Mobile device? Presumably, the privileged mode would prevent a virus from interfering with any of the phones basic and most important functions. However, I'm guessing that a lot of damage could still be done.