Posts Tagged ‘phones’
There is no such thing as a malware free smartphone
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011It’s true. All smartphones are vulnerable to malware. However, some phones get targeted more than others. Here are 5 of the most common smartphones and this is how secure they are.
- iPhone: This is the one that most people use. Due to the new iOS for the iPhone, malware is often in the background. It is most commonly found on jailbroken phones. Since jailbroken phones often contain apps that are not approved by Apple, it’s much easier for malware to get onto the phones. Also since many users do not change the passwords on their jailbroken smartphones, malicious attackers can create worms and infect the operating devices.
- Windows Mobile: This is as bad as the computer version. This is probably due to the fact that there are many similarities between the computer OS and the mobile OS.
- Blackberry: …This is actually pretty good, in that there is not much malware that targets blackberries. This is probably due to the fact that the Blackberry OS is kept under wraps. No one knows the details of how the system is programmed. However, the multitasking ability of the Blackberry makes it easy for malware to run unnoticed.
- Symbian: This is popular outside the United States. It is also the oldest of the smartphones. There is a lack of information on malware for this smartphone.
- Android: Since this is based on the Linux operating system, there is not much information about malware for this phone either. 3rd party applications are not regulated for this phone.
Many of these phones have common vulnerabilities. Things such as not changing your password and your settings can cause your phone to become vulnerable. When downloading apps, be careful of where you get the application from and try to download and install apps from reputable sources. Also, be very careful if you decide to jailbreak your phone.
Anyone got any other tips?
