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Mass cellular viruses imminent

By Ilva Pieterse, ITWeb contributor
Johannesburg, 14 Jul 2006

There is a sharp increase in the uptake of operating system-based smartphones in SA, and, although cellular viruses are still scarce, analysts agree it is only a matter of time before they boom.

Recent research by Canalys shows a doubling in smartphone uptake in SA in the last year, with similar trends existing globally.

Anti-virus vendor Sophos believes criminals were reluctant, in the past, to "worry about the different operating systems and differences seen in the varied cellphone market".

Things are changing, as Sophos warns: "As mobile devices become more ubiquitous, and common operating systems come into widespread use, we are likely to see more malware being written for the platforms."

The vendor also states: "Despite the present extremely low threat posed by mobile malware, security vendors are building technology to protect mobile devices from malware, and we can expect to see more announcements regarding protection solutions in 2006."

One such security vendor is Symantec, which is focusing on combating cellular viruses. Richard Archdeacon, director of innovation, enterprise EMEA at Symantec, says: "So far we have seen only simple cellular attacks, but as smartphones become more common, we will see more sophisticated attacks."

Archdeacon sees a future trend of security being built-in to smartphones pre-purchase, and says Nokia is deploying security with its smartphones.

Anthony Olivier, senior manager of IT security strategy and architecture at Standard Bank, agrees that although mobile phone security is not a primary focus currently, security issues need to be explored today.

Related story:
Local smartphone uptake increases
Mobile viruses a slow-growing threat

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