They are sleek, they are powerful, and they are a wish list standard. Smartphones, like iPhone and BlackBerry, are creating a collective buzz that can be heard worldwide.
The hype is well deserved. Mobile devices have matured and with their coming of age we now have capabilities that seemed far-fetched only a few years ago. For employees and executives the world over, smartphones make corporate data and applications available anytime, anywhere.
But just as a smartphone is now capable of downloading data and applications wirelessly, so can it download viruses, spyware, even pornographic content, without a user€™s consent. The use of flash memory cards on some phones opens yet another door for malware to spread to these devices.
The threat is real and growing. A recent PC World article reports that malware writers are ramping up their activity in the mobile arena, learning from proof-of-concept threats and fine-tuning the amount of user interaction required to propagate the damage.
According to SMobile Systems, a company that specializes in mobile security, there are over 400 wireless threats currently, and more are predicted to arise by year€™s end. The threats can take many forms. Among the attacks are those that attempt to delete data, those that record a user€™s phone calls, and those that send SMS text messages with links to malicious web sites.
It is a simple equation: greater use equals greater exposure. The explosion in smartphone use and the productivity gains that come with it have increased the security risks for corporations. Given their functionality,
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