Kaspersky fights mobile virus threat

Incidents of mobile phone viruses and potentially dangerous data loss are likely to rise significantly in the next few years, according to Costin Raiu, senior anti-virus expert and head of Kaspersky's virus lab for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"Awareness is very low," Raui says. "Not many people are aware of mobile viruses. It is like people's health. As long as they are well, they don't think very much about healthcare. Only after they get sick do they start thinking about it. Most people are not really aware of security risks, they just think that mobile phones are a safe device."

The development of mobile viruses is likely to mirror those infecting PCs, in that they will increasingly be the product of organised crime gangs and will be designed to make money. As handsets become more sophisticated, so criminals behind viruses are likely to look at ways to profit from security weaknesses in them.

"It took a while for mobile phones to become sophisticated enough for people to start using them for confidential stuff such as email and banking. I think that we are reaching the point when it is now becoming possible to make money from malware targeting mobiles," Raui says.

Kaspersky has a number of products designed to solve the problem for mobile users, ranging from virus protection to broader data security products, including a system that can track stolen mobile phones even after the SIM card has been changed. The product even allows the original owner to delete information on the handset remotely.

But for many smart phone users, the message about mobile security could come too late, according to Raui. "We are working now to increase awareness and to show them that the number of viruses and trojans is increasing," he says.