Cell Phone Viruses: What? Those Really Exist?

Cell Phone Viruses: What? Those Really Exist? By: Eric Everson, Founder of MyMobiSafe.com

It amazes me how often I get surprised reactions from people that have no idea threats are out there targeting cell phones. The common response, as you have likely guessed from the title of this entry “What? Those Really Exist?” Though I hate to be the bearer of bad news, mobile threats are increasing at an alarming rate. The days have passed when only those with Bluetooth capabilities built into their phones are the only mobile users at risk. At MyMobiSafe.com, as we continue to uncover increasing numbers of mobile viruses it makes us shutter to think about how many mobile users will fall victim to their fury. The scariest element of a viral attack is the interconnectivity that mobile phones have.

Consider the popularity of cell phones these days, as we keep them so close to us that they have practically become part of the human anatomy. Cell phones are integrated into every aspect of the working world and frighteningly there is a vulnerability to the industry that few ever consider. The interconnectivity of cell phones is at epic levels, which makes every mobile user a potential victim of a mobile threat. Consider how many other people’s cell number you have got in your contacts list and now considering the other 800 million cell phone users in the world think about how interconnected we all are. I think the last number I read was that the average number of contacts in person’s cell phone was around 30. Thirty seems like a relatively small number of contacts considering the working persons contacts, but nonetheless we will call it 30 for all practical purposes.

Let’s take those 30 contacts on your cell phone list and assume that at least one of them is hip to technology and uses the functionality of their mobile phone to access any number of growing mobile content portals. The person might download video, games, or music and unbeknownst to them they are opening a cell phone virus. Your first thought might be, better their phone than mine! On the contrary however, by the time you finish reading this sentence you will know that the majority new mobile threats distribute themselves through a phones contacts before causing any harm to the infected handset. Here you are now, completely oblivious to the fact that your contact has lost everything on their phone and as you always would you open that text message that they sent you. Yes, that text message that looks like it is from your friend is really a text-Trojan virus about to take out everyone you hold dear on your contacts list.

I hope that if nothing else through this blog entry that I have at least stuck the idea of mobile security and the importance of a mobile antivirus into your head. We have solutions available to protect all mobiles at MyMobiSafe.com, but I am not writing this to advertise but merely to shed enlightenment throughout the mobile community. I hope that you will continue to follow my blog to learn more about mobile security… because YES! Those really do exist. Thanks for reading.

Eric Everson, Founder MyMobiSafe.com