Malware threats to mobile phones - fact or merely hype?

French telecomms company Orange and Finnish anti-virus producer F-Secure recently announced a deal to 'protect' the smartphones of Orange customers from security threats. On the surface this seems a proactive and positive move by Orange - protecting their customers from the scourge of malicious attacks that in the future will flow their way and infect their latest high powered mobile. However, Simon Perry, VP Security EMEA at CA suggests that this is simply a case of F-Secure doing a remarkable job of hyping the 'threat' of mobile viruses to create a market for its wares. As he argues:

"Dig below the skin and the message stops sounding pithy and starts smelling rather rotten. At the core of the rot is the mostly undeniable fact that there is no threat to protect against. I say 'mostly undeniable' as the only company who is convinced there is a threat is the Finnish antivirus firm F-Secure, which has single handedly invented and hyped the notion that smartphones are now assaulted by various malicious code threats."

"While F-Secure's bankers and owners may be pleased with the cash flowing into their coffers from the deal, every security professional should be appalled by the perception this creates of our market."

"Let's be clear while there have been between 70 and 80 examples of mal'code that will infect a smart phone platform, none have been found spreading wildly in the general population of phones. None are anything but 'proof of concept' viruses. None could ever spread as far nor as fast as an attack against usual PC platform. None ever will. Why? Because the mobile phone platform itself does not share the same characteristics with a PC that make the PC so vulnerable. The challenge for security professionals as well as the general computer user (professional and consumer) is to stay educated on the real security threats and risks we face as technology becomes more ubiquitous in our lives."

"Hyping up the notion of a threat might eventually create a market for an unneeded cure, but it doesn't earn credibility in the long term. Nor does it help anyone in understanding what the real threats are. My advice to any Orange customer is simple: Don't believe the hype, and keep the 1.50 a month the 'protection service' will cost you in your pocket. It'll be far more useful spent at the greengrocers than wasted with Orange."

[Not exactly the first time hype has bolstered the coffers of the anti-virus industry... --Ed].

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