Security Threats on Mobile Devices Rising

Did you know that for 2008, there are approximately 200 malware threats for mobile phones?  Check out the details here. That should give an indication of a slow but definitely rising problem in the mobile world.

Recently the SANS Institute published its Top Ten Cyber Security Menaces for 2008.  The fourth menace was related to mobile:

Mobile Phone Threats, Especially Against iPhones And Android-Based Phones; Plus VOIP

Mobile phones are general purpose computers, so worms, viruses, and other malware will increasingly target them. Google’s recent announcement of “android” and the formation of the “open handset alliance” is a watershed moment for the mobile industry. A truly open mobile platform will usher in completely unforeseen security nightmares. The developer toolkits provide easy access for hackers. And hackers are taking note. The author of Metasploit, H.D. Moore, plans a mobile payload presentation webcast this month.

Attacks on VoIP systems are on the horizon and may surge in 2008. VoIP phones and the IP PBXs have had numerous published vulnerabilities. Attack tools exploiting these vulnerabilities have been written and are available on the Internet. In short, the VoIP attack surface is enormous.

Last month, Fortinet researchers found a new, socially engineered Symbian OS worm that is actively spreading on mobile networks as users unwittingly send the malware to their unit’s entire address book.  Although it currently runs on specific Nokia models, it is likely to infect other brands of smartphones running the Symbian OS (about 100 million mobile devices run Symbian OS).

In its Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Volume XII, Symantec says that the attackers are getting more organized and professional in their approach.  Their method and detail depends on the geographical region that is targeted.  There is a lot of convergence in their approach (trojans, bots, malaware, etc all mixed together and served up in a truly malicious recipe).