viruses

Editor's Corner

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Signs of Maturity?
Anyone who has kids (or who has been a kid) knows that growing up can be fun, but it's almost never easy. We get to see both sides of the maturity curve this week. Demo 07, the conference where companies pitch their newest products, had a heavy wireless contingent with a lot of companies eager to bring new products and services to the most portable platforms. That's great news. At the same time, we're beginning to see a market emerging in which customers demand high speed and great services, rather than the simple existence of a capability. That's still great, but makes life harder for you when you have to choose partners. Finally, the malware horde of Trojans, worms and viruses is beginning to invade the wireless world in a more serious way, and the anti-virus companies are noticing. It's a product category that you'd love not to need. Put them all together, though, and the signs are clear that wireless platforms are becoming more important as enterprise tools, and that's ultimately a very good thing for all of us. -Curtis

A guide to good smartphone security

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:01:36 -0500

Given the increasing adoption of smartphones, and the improved products coming to market, a good resource for any mobile enterprise is a guide to good smartphone security practices. While viruses are not a huge threat at this point, there's a rare opportunity to get ahead of what analysts believe will become a major headache. As with any enterprise security effort, user education is the first element. Also consider pulling in either vendor or consulting services to make sure network and device protection is up to date. Another best practice is to know exactly what data may be stored by users and how best to protect those confidential business files. For more advice and insight on securing the smartphone check out this guide offered up at InformationWeek.

An in-depth look at VoIP and security needs

Sun, 21 May 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Hungry to get as much information as you can about VoIP and the related security issues you need to be aware of? A good starting point is an in-depth article at NetworkWorld that maps out what VoIP is all about, how it works and how it's still vulnerable and requires strong security measures. Just like traditional phone and cell services, VoIP is susceptible to phreaking, as well as WiFi jamming and other issues such as worms, denial of service attacks and viruses. Article

Symbian-based anti-virus app goes beta

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 20:01:37 -0400

If your enterprise is using Symbian phones, you've got new options. A vendor is rolling out a beta anti-virus application that will hopefully thwart the new mobile viruses hitting the wireless environment. Kaspersky Lab says its Anti-Virus Mobile 2.0 stops suspicious programs before they take root in phones and also scans the phones for malicious software. The application is compatible with the Symbian 6.1, 7.0s, 8.0 or 8.1 OS versions and the Series 60 user interface. The program also boasts a blacklist to help compare messages coming to the phone and eliminate dangerous spam. Article

How to prepare for mobile malware

Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:01:38 -0500

There have been some early headlines about malware (spam, Trojans and viruses) being aimed at the mobile user base, but the problem isn't anywhere near what desktop threat levels are. Thus, technologies to detect and defend mobile devices haven't experienced much growth or excitement. Right now the Symbian OS seems to be the No. 1 malware target, with just a few viruses being thrown at the Windows Mobile OS. But that trend is very likely to change as malware writers and criminal enterprises begin realizing the potential value in attacking mobile device user information. As experts explain, the best time to get a good security effort in place is before threats begin bombarding wireless networks and devices. As one security guru notes, mobile devices are the weakest link when it comes to network security architecture.

Fighting mobile malware requires planning, investigation of early tools coming to market and realizing how great a role the mobile device user plays in keeping data and networks safe. That means developing and enforcing user policies about downloading and network access. If your enterprise mobility use is growing each day, it's time to get a security plan in place before anything bad happens. It's likely one of the few opportunities IT has today to be proactive when it comes to security. Article