Kaspersky Lab Releases Kaspersky Anti-Virus Mobile

[Paul Martin]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=6986' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.a...?ContentId=6986</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Kaspersky Labs says that when compared to previous versions of mobile phone protection systems, the new-generation solution offers significantly enhanced functionality based on a much more extensive set of tools that process scanned objects and protect from IT threats. Kaspersky Anti-Virus Mobile includes a number of previously unavailable features, such as scanning of individual objects (files or folders) and isolation of infected objects in quarantine storage to prevent deletion of important information. The antivirus protection has become even more reliable due to the feature of unpacking and scanning the contents of .sis files, which are often used by cybercriminals for distributing malicious code. Optimization of the product’s antivirus engine also results in higher performance levels."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://images.kaspersky.com/en/boxes/pda_140_en.jpg" /><br /><br />Ahh, here we go again. Not content to protect against non-existent Windows Mobile viruses, Kapersky releases an update to also scan for them faster and do the same for mobile phones. :roll: While the press release sounds like it's available, I could only find an equivalent of a "coming soon" message and trial download <a href="http://www.kaspersky.com/anti-virus_mobile">from their site</a>. While I'm sure it's bound to happen at some point, I'm not aware of a great outcry for a mobile virus problem. Back in 2004, Chris De Herrera wrote an article for his site entitled "<a href="http://www.pocketpcfaq.com/faqs/ppc-av.htm">Pocket PC Antivirus Becomes a Necessity</a>", but fortunately the predictions were quite premature. Have you EVER heard of a problem with a virus related to a mobile device? When I bought my Dell Axim, it came with a copy of McAfee VirusScan mobile. I've never installed it. Is anyone concerned enough about the possibility of viruses to install this on your device?

[Rod3]

Good gosh, no. This is definitely a solution looking for a problem. I might be proven terribly wrong one day, but I don't even think it will ever be a problem. Seems to me that virus writers have bigger fish to fry.

[jpryor]

The only reason I could see this being implemented would be conform to corporate security policies and procedures. Due to past viruses on laptops from "mobile" use, all protable devices must have virus protection and few other things that have made it impossible to even use my hx4700 anymore. Makes me mad. I have to haul my laptop with me now. :evil:

Some people are mobile-phobics and don't understand the complexity of writing a virus for windows mobile and the extreme ease of getting rid of it within a minute or two.

[pocketpcadmirer]

Is anyone concerned enough about the possibility of viruses to install this on your device?

Well, had this been SymbianThoughts.com, I might have already bought this?(due to myraid of viruses all-around) :wink:

But, we are using PPCs and PPCPEs. Till now, there have been only 3 viruses(that too were made in labs and were never spread wildly).
Q.So, is anybody going to install anti-virus software on a PPC.
A. Sensible person: NO || Idiot: YES 8)

[mauibob]

Being essentially paranoid myself, I think that while the Bad Guys won't bother with viruses for Pocket PC's, there is a lot of money to be made by people writing anti-virus software. All it will take is a few reports of a virus (even a benign one) going public and Pocket PC anti-virus software will be flying off the shelves.

The comment on corporate security and the lack of understanding from IT departments re mobile devices is well taken, but the IT concerns are understandable given some news stories over the past year re 'misplaced' laptops (Which is a bigger concern, I think, than a lost or stolen PDA).

It's not paranoia if they are really after you.

[daS]

Well, had this been SymbianThoughts.com, I might have already bought this?(due to myraid of viruses all-around) :wink:
Unfortunately, as with the greater number of viruses for Windows than for the MAC, this has more to due with the relative number of Symbian phones vs. Windows Mobile phones, rather than the security of the OS.

When there are more Windows Mobile devices out there, we will see more attacks. Most likely, such attacks will be attempts to use the Windows Mobile device as a back-door for getting to the desktop.

It would certainly be easy enough for someone to write a free game program that you can download as a CAB file to the device which in addition to providing entertainment for the user could do something nasty.

That said, I wouldn't bother with mobile anti-virus software at this time because I use reasonable precautions when downloading content.

[stllhogan]

They do say better safe then sorry, and I think it would be safer to buy a good case then to waste it on this and the valuable hardware resources our little devices have. I pick up a tech magazine from time to time and it always seems to be the issue where someone is making a huge deal about mobile device security. they did have a few viruses out but I found that those weren't a huge threat. Didn't McAffee have one for Windows Mobile also?

[hoffman]

The whole idea with windows mobile anti virus software is that you purchase the program and pray that you will get a virus just so you can see the program in action.

I have not yet got to that stage in my life so I guess I will give it a miss.

Regards Brian