2008 Mobile Security Outlook
2008 Mobile Security Outlook By Eric Everson, Founder of MyMobiSafe.com
As some are struggling through the day due to late night celebrations of bringing in the New Year, I’d like to raise a glass for the mobile community. As the usage of mobile phones outpaces the use of computers, it is the multimedia functionality of mobile phones that will continue to make the computer obsolete. Seemingly 2008 has much in store for the mobile community.
What does 2008 offer the mobile community? There are many emerging mobile industry trends such as open source mobile Operating Systems, mobile banking, mobile gamming, and many other significant developments that are sure to make 2008 a pivotal year for mobile technology.
As the Founder of MyMobiSafe.com, I can’t help but consider what impact the developments of mobile technology have on the security of cell phone users. As cell phones already represent the greatest network security vulnerability in an enterprise setting, the risks to every cell phone compound with most advances in mobile technology. As multimedia capabilities liken cell phones to computers, the same risks that computers carry are migrating into the mobile setting.
Advances such as open source mobile Operating Systems (OS), mobile banking, and gaming bode well for mobile interoperability, functionality, and entertainment yet they all carry their own risks. As we enter into a new year, it is the risks to cell phones that I hope people will desire to learn more about. For so many years in the beginning the cellular industry had nothing to worry about, yet that same veil of false security lingers today which has left too many cell phone owners vulnerable.
Some predict that the next great mobile virus will emerge in 2008, which I sense is being used more as an industry scare tactic having seen nothing credible to substantiate the claims. But as I find myself continually explaining, it isn’t viruses that cell phone owners must fear today, rather other things such as mobile keyloggers and mobile spyware that can have a profound impact on the security of your cell phone. In the spirit of the New Year, I encourage cell phone owners to try new things: Adopt mobile banking and enjoy new forms of mobile entertainment. Just remember that the veil of false security has to be removed as there are credible mobile threats that open handsets to attack if there is not a mobile security solution on the handset. If you wouldn’t trust your computer without an antivirus solution, then the same should hold true for your cell phone too. As the New Year indicates, the times are changing!
I wish everyone a Happy New Year and I look forward to your responses.
Your mobile security expert and mobi guru,
Eric Everson, Founder - MyMobiSafe.com Contact me at: Eric.Everson@MyMobiSafe.com