Mobile Devices Security 1

As this security solution is not such a great idea, other companies have researched and finally found a new way to prevent cell phones and PDA theft. This method permits remotely disabling up to four tasks of a stolen cell phone or PDA, rendering it inoperable. But at the same time, data contained in the device are locked. This option’s beauty is that the unit is not damaged – full functionality and data can be easily restored if the device is recovered. Thus, the device is useless to the thief but can be reactivated and restored if recovered and returned to its rightful owner.

Mobile Devices
This year, another new security breach was encountered when reports were received about a backdoor Trojan horse program that can take control of a mobile device. This is the first known backdoor Trojan horse for PDAs. The subject program is identified as Backdoor. Brador. An attack PDAs are running the Windows operating system. And like all Backdoor, it cannot spread by itself. The Trojan arrives as an email attachment or can be downloaded online. Also, it has a complete set of destructive functions characteristic of the Backdoor. After installing it, this small program is activated when the PDA is restarted and looks for a remote administrator to take control of the device. Security specialists claim the virus was written by a Russian virus coder since it was attached to an email with a Russian sender address and contained Russian text. Fortunately, the Trojan’s threat control and removal were rated “easy.”

The important thing about this virus is not the number of devices affected, because this number is minimal, but the fact that this is the first one that appeared on the “market” is considered very important. We must admit that it is hardly surprising that viruses have found their way to mobile devices. This is the natural trend. Where technology goes, viruses will follow. As the new technology shifts into the mobile market, these threats will move in that direction. The specialists from Kaspersky Labs claim they were expecting a virus attack on a PDA due to the latest attacks against other mobile devices. Now, PDA users look at a real danger, and it is well-known that interested intruders will grab the chance to attack PDAs and mobile phones shortly. Virus threat development for mobile devices passes through the same stages as desktops.

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Almost at the same time as the appearance of the first Trojan for PDAs, the first virus to affect cell phones has also arrived. This worm is called “Cabir,” and it has been spotted by some security specialists who issued an alert concerning the danger. Cabir spreads using a file named “Caribe. sis” and travels across devices working with the Symbian operating system used in PDAs and many cell phones. Cabir usually places itself on a mobile device when a user agrees to a transmission showing the text message “Caribe.” After that, the worm begins a nonstop search, particularly for Bluetooth-connected wireless devices to send itself to. Also, the battery life of the infected device is harshly reduced during this process. The inventors of Cabir did not design the worm to spread massively. It was intended to demonstrate that viruses can easily infect these mobile devices because of their rapid maturation. The worm is rated as low risk because it has to be intentionally activated by a mobile phone user. Also, allowing the Caribe package requires pressing a button before the files can be loaded into the receiving phone.

Predictably, viruses and worms for cell phones and PDAs would appear. This results from the impressive advances made in mobile communication technology in the past years. Over time, cell phones and PDAs become more PC-like, making them vulnerable to viruses. They are more PC-like, smart cell phones, and PD As are mostly used by companies for mission-critical applications and data storage. Also, they are used for receiving emails and text messages, just like desktop computers. That makes their users just as exposed to viruses and worms. These security concerns can be dealt with with software-encryption solutions that must be attached to the new devices. Encryption technology expands to mobile devices, the identical type of security many companies have organized into their desktop computers. It encrypts data and prevents illegal access to the data stored within the device, either lost or stolen.