Smartphones emerge as a 'Hot cake' for criminals

BANGALORE, INDIA: Check out what cyber criminals are looking to target these days? It's not just the the personal computers but smartphones that fast gaining popularity.

There is a reason for this. Smartphones are no longer just devices used for voice calls or messaging. The integration of new technologies, previously only found on personal computers, has led to smartphones becoming real powerhouses.

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Smartphones are being used to surf the Internet, transfer data, and serve as company data stores. This increases the risk, not only of malware infecting the phone, but also phishing and concentrated attacks on data, says Shantanu Ghosh, vice president, India Product Operations, Symantec.

Ghosh adds that Symantec has observed various types of attacks on mobile devices including Bluejacking (techniques in which nearby users try to push through malicious data via Bluetooth) and Bluesnarfing, which aims at copying the contents of your smartphone.  Some of the other threats identified are Snoopware, Pranking For Profit, which is a type of crimeware that steals money.

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"What is interesting is that increasingly these mobile devices are being used for personal use, business use and for accessing entertainment and carrier-provided services. This fundamental shift in behavior offers tremendous productivity increases but also represents new security and management challenges for three key groups - IT organizations, consumers and communication service providers," Gosh said.

According to a recent report from Lookout, a mobile security company, because smartphone use is becoming more widespread, the bad guys are looking at web browsing and the downloading of Web applications (apps) as two ways to attack Android handsets, iPhones, BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile smartphones and spread those malicious Web apps. Some of these viruses can harvest or erase stored phone numbers and text messages as well as retrieve information that can be used to disclose a user’s location.

Also read: Consumerization of IT will drive mobile security says Unisys

The attacks have not spared even latest phones that use Android operating system. 2010 has already been witness to two SMS Trojan attacks targeting the Google's Android operating system. The SMS Trojan attack was in the form of media player application. The Trojan made phones to send SMS messages to premium rate numbers resulting in a huge bill for the unsuspecting owner.

Writes, security expert Jay Seaton, in his latest article on Mobile Messaging 2.0, “Although it is no surprise that cyber criminals are now targeting smartphones for illicit money-making activities, this latest discovery further serves to show the breadth and depth of current mobile security threats mobile subscribers face. As mobile messaging is increasingly used for critical applications including mobile banking and mobile payments, and by an expanding the number of subscribers of all ages, the need and demand for more robust mobile security has never been more apparent.”

Seaton says that while there are steps that users can take to prevent malware attacks, such as only installing apps they trust and using passwords, the responsibility to protect devices also lies with the operator.

AV Comparatives, an Austrian security testing lab in its September month report, recommended that every smartphone should be protected, whether it is used privately or for business. Smartphone users not only face the risk of Internet threats but also other threats such as theft and possible loss of confidential data.

The lab which analyzed various mobile security products in the market has recommended that any product users choose should have anti virus, firewall, phishing filter and remote lock features.