" A numbers of mobile viruses and malwares are now spreading and infecting mobile phone. The situation is more critical for smartphones owing to their open operati ng systems and connectivity features"
A lot of us have lost data from our laptops, PCs and cellphones due to virus attacks. These viruses cause a lot of inconvenience, not to mention the numerous hassles that we have to undergo to get our devices back on track.
So what exactly is a virus? In simple terms a virus is a software programme that reproduces itself and causes great harm to files or other programmes on the device it has infected. In other words, it’s an executable file that "infects" a device and then copies itself to other devices. In the case of cellphones, viruses spread through games, MMS, Bluetooth transfers, security patches, add-ons, pornography and free downloads. The most common type of cellphone infection occurs when a device downloads an infected file from a PC or the Internet. However, phone-to-phone viruses are also on the rise.
The smartphones are more prone to viruses since they perform like PCs and have open operating systems. So, as the number of smartphones increase the malware attack would go up. Interestingly, phones which are used for making and receiving calls are not at risk. So far mobile phone viruses don’t get installed automatically even if they get transferred from one device to another. Thus, unless a user opens the file and installs the programme, the virus doesn’t infect a phone.
Dangerous Communication
As mentioned earlier, cellphone viruses can spread through various means and in different ways. Let’s find out how.
• Internet downloads: The user downloads an infected file to the phone through a PC or the phone's Internet connection. This may include file sharing downloads, applications available from add-on sites (ringtones or games) and false security patches posted on Symbian Websites.
• Bluetooth transfers: The virus spreads between phones through Bluetooth when the device is in discoverable mode, which means it can be sensed by other Bluetooth-enabled phones. In this case, the virus spreads like an airborne illness.
• MMS: The virus comes in the form of an attachment. The user must open the attachment and install it for the virus to infect the phone.
Story So Far
Mobile phones were not prone to virus attacks until mid-2004 when the first mobile virus termed ‘Cabir’ started infecting devices. Cabir was released on the Internet. Within a few months of its release, it caused a lot of havoc in South East Asia. It later spread to different parts of the world.
In March 2005 it was reported that a computer worm called Commwarrior-A had been infecting mobile devices across the world. Commwarrior-A sent copies of itself to those devices listed in the phone’s address book. Although the virus was not considered harmful, experts agreed that it heralded a new age in electronic attacks on mobile phones, changing the mobile security landscape forever.
The parasitic file infector virus was the first known virus for the PocketPC platform. It attempted to infect all EXE files in the phone's directory (bigger than 4096 bytes).
However, today there are a number of viruses that are now infecting mobile phones in every part of the globe. Unless installed by the user, these viruses drain out the battery of the phone or extend the time taken by the device to switch on or off. Additionally, the virus tries to copy itself to another smartphone by opening a Bluetooth connection.
Protect Your Phone
The best way to protect your cellphone from viruses is to never open any file, which is not identifiable, hasn’t been requested for and looks suspicions. Despite this even the most cautious person can end up with an infected phone. Here are some steps to keep your smartphone free from viruses:
• Turn off Bluetooth discoverable mode. Set your phone to "hidden" so other phones can't detect it.
• Check security updates to learn about filenames. But this is not fool-proof.
• Install a security software on your phone. Companies are developing security software for cellphones, some for free download, some for user purchase and some intended for service providers. The software can simply detect and remove the virus once it's received and installed, or it can protect the phone from getting infected in the first place.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Although some in the cellphone industry think the potential of viruses is overstated, most experts agree that cellphone viruses are on the brink of their destructive power. Future possibilities include viruses that bug phones, so someone can see every number you call and listen to all your conversations and viruses that steal financial information, which would be a serious issue if smartphones end up being used as payment devices.
Ultimately, more connectivity means more exposure to viruses and faster spread of infection. As smartphones become more common and more complex, so will the viruses that target them.
A lot of us have lost data from our laptops, PCs and cellphones due to virus attacks. These viruses cause a lot of inconvenience, not to mention the numerous hassles that we have to undergo to get our devices back on track.
So what exactly is a virus? In simple terms a virus is a software programme that reproduces itself and causes great harm to files or other programmes on the device it has infected. In other words, it’s an executable file that "infects" a device and then copies itself to other devices. In the case of cellphones, viruses spread through games, MMS, Bluetooth transfers, security patches, add-ons, pornography and free downloads. The most common type of cellphone infection occurs when a device downloads an infected file from a PC or the Internet. However, phone-to-phone viruses are also on the rise.
The smartphones are more prone to viruses since they perform like PCs and have open operating systems. So, as the number of smartphones increase the malware attack would go up. Interestingly, phones which are used for making and receiving calls are not at risk. So far mobile phone viruses don’t get installed automatically even if they get transferred from one device to another. Thus, unless a user opens the file and installs the programme, the virus doesn’t infect a phone.
Dangerous Communication
As mentioned earlier, cellphone viruses can spread through various means and in different ways. Let’s find out how.
• Internet downloads: The user downloads an infected file to the phone through a PC or the phone's Internet connection. This may include file sharing downloads, applications available from add-on sites (ringtones or games) and false security patches posted on Symbian Websites.
• Bluetooth transfers: The virus spreads between phones through Bluetooth when the device is in discoverable mode, which means it can be sensed by other Bluetooth-enabled phones. In this case, the virus spreads like an airborne illness.
• MMS: The virus comes in the form of an attachment. The user must open the attachment and install it for the virus to infect the phone.
Story So Far
Mobile phones were not prone to virus attacks until mid-2004 when the first mobile virus termed ‘Cabir’ started infecting devices. Cabir was released on the Internet. Within a few months of its release, it caused a lot of havoc in South East Asia. It later spread to different parts of the world.
In March 2005 it was reported that a computer worm called Commwarrior-A had been infecting mobile devices across the world. Commwarrior-A sent copies of itself to those devices listed in the phone’s address book. Although the virus was not considered harmful, experts agreed that it heralded a new age in electronic attacks on mobile phones, changing the mobile security landscape forever.
The parasitic file infector virus was the first known virus for the PocketPC platform. It attempted to infect all EXE files in the phone's directory (bigger than 4096 bytes).
However, today there are a number of viruses that are now infecting mobile phones in every part of the globe. Unless installed by the user, these viruses drain out the battery of the phone or extend the time taken by the device to switch on or off. Additionally, the virus tries to copy itself to another smartphone by opening a Bluetooth connection.
Protect Your Phone
The best way to protect your cellphone from viruses is to never open any file, which is not identifiable, hasn’t been requested for and looks suspicions. Despite this even the most cautious person can end up with an infected phone. Here are some steps to keep your smartphone free from viruses:
• Turn off Bluetooth discoverable mode. Set your phone to "hidden" so other phones can't detect it.
• Check security updates to learn about filenames. But this is not fool-proof.
• Install a security software on your phone. Companies are developing security software for cellphones, some for free download, some for user purchase and some intended for service providers. The software can simply detect and remove the virus once it's received and installed, or it can protect the phone from getting infected in the first place.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Although some in the cellphone industry think the potential of viruses is overstated, most experts agree that cellphone viruses are on the brink of their destructive power. Future possibilities include viruses that bug phones, so someone can see every number you call and listen to all your conversations and viruses that steal financial information, which would be a serious issue if smartphones end up being used as payment devices.
Ultimately, more connectivity means more exposure to viruses and faster spread of infection. As smartphones become more common and more complex, so will the viruses that target them.
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