Mobile
phone viruses, simple
measures to protect yourself
The Australian
Mobile Telecommunications Association
(AMTA) has developed consumer
tips to assist users to protect
themselves against the risk
of mobile phone viruses.
This guide
explains what viruses are, how
they spread, and what can be
done about them.
What?s a
mobile phone virus?
A mobile
phone virus or mobile malware
- malicious mobile software
- is a computer virus specifically
adapted for the mobile phone
environment and designed to
spread from one vulnerable phone
to another.
A virus
is a program code that replicates
by being copied to another program.
Viruses can be transmitted as
attachments to an email or in
a download file. Some viruses
take effect as soon as their
code is executed; other viruses
can lie dormant. A virus that
replicates by resending itself
as an email attachment or as
a part of a network message
is known as a worm.
Viruses
can range from benign to quite
harmful; they can erase data
from the infected phone or send
fake messages purporting to
be from the phones owner. How
prevalent are mobile phone viruses?
The current security risk from
mobile phone viruses and worms
is low.
Until many
more smart phones or PDAs are
in use, and users of these phones
are regularly exchanging executable
files, the risk will remain
low. The mobile industry takes
the threat of viruses very seriously
and is continually monitoring
its networks and working to
protect users from any future
risk from mobile phone viruses.
There are also some simple measures
that individual users can implement
to protect themselves.
What can
I do to protect my phone?
The following
tips can help prevent problems
with viruses on your phone:
1. Switch
to Bluetooth hidden mode. If
your phone has Bluetooth capability,
ensure that the Bluetooth capability
is switched to hidden or invisible
mode unless you specifically
need it to be visible. This
will help prevent other Bluetooth-enabled
devices from finding your phone
(unless you grant them the necessary
permission) and will therefore
help protect your phone
from worms that spread using
the Bluetooth wireless technology.
2. Exercise
caution before opening attachments.
When accepting applications
sent via Bluetooth, or opening
MMS attachments, exercise caution,
just as you would when opening
an email attachment on your
PC, because they may include
harmful software. Ensure the
application or attachment comes
from a known source, and is
wary of opening files that have
unfamiliar text attached to
them, even if they come from
someone you know.
3. Only download
content from a trusted source.
Trusted sources may include
operator portals and
other well-known brands that
offer adequate protection against
viruses and other harmful software.
Be aware though that, as with
emails, malicious or fraudulent
users may be able to fake the
appearance of a trusted source.
4. Consider
anti-virus software. Some software
is available to prevent phone
viruses. You may wish to consider
downloading this software.
5. Contact
your phone manufacturer if concerned.
If you think you have a virus,
call the phone manufacturer?s
care line. They can assist you
confirm if it is a virus, and
help fix the problem.
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