India is hot-spot for mobile malware

Or how many of us are even aware of the threats that mobile phones can face? Wing Fei Chia, security response manager, F-Secure Security Labs, speaks to V.Sudhakshina of CyberMedia News about the threats, solutions and much more...

What are the various kinds of security threat a mobile phone user can face?

The threats that a mobile phone user today can face is becoming increasingly similar to that of the PC user. Similar to the PC - worms, Trojans, and spyware are existent on mobile phones too.

Although they only spread with user interaction, users have been made to believe they are harmless and they click on 'yes' to accept them. The most significant in the past years is Cabir, which was the first real mobile malware found in Philippines during June 2004, which spreads via Bluetooth over a very limited range of 10 to 15 meters. But it didn't stop this malware from reaching countries as far as Finland or Russia and this is still spreading in-the-wild today.

Another significant threat faced by the users today is Flexispy, which is used to spy on each and every activity of a mobile phone user - such as incoming and outgoing calls, SMS, websites visited, and location. To install this spyware, the attacker requires only two minutes on your unattended phone.

Are there any solutions provided by F-Secure to address these threats?

Smartphones can perform many of the same things as a PC. With a smartphone you can send SMS and multimedia messages, check your e-mail and browse the Web, take pictures and record video, play music, watch television, and buy things online.

Many people store their personal information, pictures, banking details, e-mails, business projects and other valuable and confidential data on their smartphones. As more financial transactions are carried out using mobile phones than ever before, criminals are not only out to steal the phones but to make money from the information they contain.

F-Secure Mobile Security allows smartphone users to experience the full potential of their devices without the fear of mobile threats. In the unfortunate event your phone is lost, stolen, infected by mobile malware or even spied on, Mobile Security helps to safeguard your personal and confidential data. F-Secure Mobile Security makes your smartphone completely safe for today's connected life.

One need not be technically savvy to install or run F-Secure Mobile Security.

The solution works invisibly in the background, scanning all network traffic and monitoring the device for malware. The application combines real-time antivirus functionality with a firewall, anti-theft and anti-spyware, making the device completely safe for today's connected life.

F-Secure Mobile Security automatically retrieves the newest updates whenever any data connection is used. An additional SMS update mechanism patented by F-Secure ensures that critical malware fingerprints are received even when a data connection is not available. Thanks to light and efficient scanning technology, F-Secure Mobile Security does not affect the smartphone user experience.

Mobile phones can easily be lost or stolen, so it’s important that you have a way to protect and remotely control the device.

F-Secure Mobile Security 5 introduces the new advanced anti-theft feature with Remote Lock, Remote Wipe and Theft Control functionalities. Remote Lock can be used to lock the device to protect confidential information quickly and easily with a single SMS.

The Theft Control feature activates when the SIM card is changed by locking the device. As an ultimate safety measure to prevent misuse, it is possible to erase all the data on the phone with Remote Wipe. You can be sure that your personal and confidential information won’t be misused by anyone.

Today Tata offers F-secure Mobile security to its customers in a security-as-a-service model.

Is there any increase in awareness for mobile security in recent times?

Last year’s F-Secure’s Online Wellbeing survey revealed 28 per cent of respondents use their mobile phone to access the Internet. A large majority, 86 per cent, admitted to having no mobile security. There is still a lot to be done to increase the awareness but that is not the solution.

True enough, physical security is the first step, then comes the technical solution. Many users do not protect their mobile phone with a password and in two minutes, the attacker could install a spyware on it and listen in to your phone calls, read your messages and know about your whereabouts.

To date the total amount of mobile malware is 431, more than 90 per cent of those targeting the dominant Symbian operating system (46.6 per cent of global market share).

In 2008, the growth of mobile malware was approximately 7.2 per cent, which is fairly low compared to PC malware but this is the same trend that PC malware had more than five years ago.

How is the mobile phone security trend for India in terms of threats and awareness?

Although, India is one the countries with the largest mobile subscribers, the awareness is lacking but definitely catching up very quickly.

The threats are definitely there and if I am the attacker, India would be a hotspot for me because I have the biggest opportunities and returns there!