Should you be worried about people listening to your private conversations, even when you are NOT ON YOUR CELL PHONE? Please take 5-minutes to watch this very revealing investigative video – it will definitely change the way you think about your cell phone:
http://brasherweb.com/now/downloads/cellphone_expose.wmv
A study by SMobile Systems of 1,958 smartphones revealed infections by Spyware, Viruses Worms and Trojans, as well as hundreds of unlicensed software programs installed on the handsets reviewed. A comparison of these statistics to the worldwide smartphone population places the number of infected devices globally into the millions. Because the vast majority of these infections are designed to be stealthy and the fact that few smartphones possess Anti-Malware applications, most infected users are completely unaware their devices have been compromised.
“As more and more people carry smartphones, the target-rich environment is proving to be incredibly tempting to hackers, spammers and criminals looking to steal vital information on these handsets. With millions upon millions of new devices in the market, the likelihood of unwanted infection increases,” said Neil Book, president of SMobile Systems. “The sophistication and ease of spreading malware is escalating; as such, the need for handset-based security has never been greater.”
SMobile’s Global Threat Center (GTC) monitors devices throughout the world for malware infections detected by its industry-leading Security Shield(TM) software. Throughout 2009 the GTC has seen a marked increase in the capabilities of new malware infecting mobile devices, as well as the frequency of attacks. The attacks have taken the form of worms and Trojans that are transmitted via Bluetooth, SMS, MMS, or email, as well as Spyware that is unwantedly being downloaded from various online application and shareware websites.
According to Daniel V. Hoffman, chief technology officer of SMobile, “These attacks are very concerning and financially motivated. The Spyware we are detecting has the ability to intercept e-mail and SMS messages, allow hackers to listen-in on voice conversations and even track the location of the user. This can have devastating repercussions to those performing online financial transactions, mobile banking or having sensitive business-oriented communications. Additionally, worms are unknowingly sending Premium SMS messages from infected devices, directly charging user cell phone accounts.”
Mr. Hoffman concluded, “Handset manufacturers and network carriers continue to insist that mobile malware is not a significant concern. According to data from our customers, the infection rate is accelerating and the capabilities of today’s mobile malware is increasing.”
What Can You Do?
This expose of unwanted cell phone capabilities is intended to educate the user, not to sell any particular product. SMobile, however, has researched and provided substantial work in this uncharted territory, and I feel strongly that all smartphone users should be knowledgeable of what their devices are capable of or problems they are likely to encounter. I therefore thank SMobile for placing much of the information I have used here on the internet, and for developing products that will allow users to continue using their cell phones without worry. Please visit their website (www.smobilesystems.com) for suggestions on how to thwart these invasions of your privacy.
SMobile, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, currently offers the most comprehensive suite of security and parental control applications on the market for consumer, business and government smartphone users. SMobile currently markets and sells its Anti-Theft and Identity Protection and Security Shield(TM) suites, which address the critical threats facing consumers, enterprise users and government agencies using smartphones. The software protects users from malware, hackers and physical compromise with its anti-virus, firewall and remote lock, locate, wipe and backup features.
– Portions of this article ©2009 SMobile Systems