Mobile Devices Security

Though most enterprises have yet to feel the sting of a mobile phone-based attack, many security experts warn against complacency. It's only a matter of time before file sharing on smart phones becomes routine in the corporate world, and when that happens the trouble will really begin.

Financially-motivated gangs have adopted a conveyor-belt philosophy to churning out new malware to attack desktop and laptop computers. Slightly altered each time, to keep security tools off balance. We have yet to see such a shift in the mobile malware arena. As it becomes more common for people to use a Wi-Fi enabled devices which carry company and personal information, the temptation for hackers will be greater.

The iPhone is a perfect example of what's ahead. Flaws have been found in the mobile email program and Safari browser installed on such devices. At the moment uptake remains limited and cyber criminals seeking larger returns are unlikely to attack these systems on a large scale in the near future. But proof-of-concept exploits against the iPhone Web browser have already gone public, and as more third-party applications are written for these devices, further abuse is only a matter of time.

The iPhone's popularity and use of Google Android will lead to more complex attacks that will ultimately affect enterprise users. Android is an open standard for mobile phones. It can make mobile malware more of a problem. The key issue here is whether Android will go for totally open systems or whether they will adopt a system for signing approved applications, such as Symbian. If unsigned and unknown applications written by anyone have full access to phone features, you can expect that trouble is ahead.