Schneier on iPhone security

Bruce Schneier, world renowned security technologist and author, has posted his thoughts on smartphone security.

Schneier believes that 'smart phones are going to become the primary platform of attack for cybercriminals in the coming years,' because as they become more and more integrated into our lives they will 'become the most valuable device for criminals to go after.'

But what about the iPhone? Surely that's safe because of Apple's stringent App Store policies? Schneier doesn't think so:

And I don't believe the iPhone will be more secure because of Apple's rigid policies for the app store.

It makes sense.

There's be not central 'App Store' for Windows PCs, yet malware has flourished. Malware makes its way to a PC primarily via the web and email, and both these conduits are available in the iPhone and other smartphones. The simple fact that we've seen jailbreak exploits for iOS that can be done via the Safari browser should be enough proof for those who are in any doubt of this.

Having a well curated repository for downloads is only part of the defense against malware.

People hold an ever-increasing amount of data on their smartphones, and the bad guys want access to it.

Related:

• U.S. government blows $200,000 on useless smartphone app
• Are security firms that warn of Android malware 'charlatans and scammers'?