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Mobile malware gets serious

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CIOL Bureau
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NEW DELHI: SYMBOS_CARDTRP.A attacks are indication of a new type of blended threat to come, warned Raimund Genes, president of Trend Micro European Operations.





Trend Micro said in a statement that while a great deal of attention has been paid to mobile malware over the past year, due to their limited propagation abilities they have not yet been seen as serious threats by most.





Security experts have long warned that malware writers frequently prefer to utilize new and emerging technology, and that eventually that desire will lead to a fully-functioning mobile attack. Today, researchers at antivirus and content security firm Trend Micro have discovered such a mobile threat that confirms malware writers are committed in their efforts.





While the potential for infection from SYMBOS_CARDTRP.A is still low at this stage, Genes recommended that it is prudent for all users to remain vigilant.





"This attack is really a proof of concept and may be an indication of a new type of blended threat to come" Genes said. "As mobile threats continue to evolve, it's likely that we will see further attacks similar to this, but utilizing more robust propagation techniques and therefore carrying a higher potential for infection."





SYMBOS_CARDTRP.A originates in Symbian Series 60 devices, but has the potential to spread to PCs running the Microsoft Windows Operating System. There are two methods by which the mobile device can be infected: Receiving the malware manually via Bluetooth or MMS, and Downloading and installing it from the Web, the statement said.











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