Malware Coming to Smartphones, Malware Services Needed from Carriers, says Unstrung Insider and Light Reading

By Reporter Wireless and Mobile News on December 2, 2008 11:22 AM

A new report from Unstrung Insider and Light Reading shows an increasing demand for applications that minimize the potential impact of malware on mobile services.

Smartphone Security: Solving the Mobile Malware Problem examines the mobile malware security sector. Key findings include:

Mobile operating systems and downloads, both of which are increasingly similar to those found on PCs, are significant problem areas for mobile malware threats.
Carriers will begin offering mobile malware services as a way to compete and differentiate themselves in the market over the next 12 months.
A number of factors must be considered when budgeting for mobile malware security, including the customer's risk profile and the type of applications run on the device.
The SMB market is one of the strongest for mobile malware security vendors.

"Mobile malware threats are on the rise, especially as smartphones increase in popularity, because smartphone operating systems are a primary malware target," notes Denise Culver, research analyst with Unstrung Insider and author of the report.

Security applications are aimed at minimizing the malware threat before a full-fledged attack can occur, Culver says. "Mobile malware security vendors are preparing for wide-scale attacks by hackers -- attacks that eventually will be as headline grabbing as those that hit email systems," she notes. "Their hope is that smartphone manufacturers, carriers, and enterprises -- not to mention smartphone users -- will not wait until the threats have reached that level before securing their mobile systems."

To subscribe, or for more information, please visit: www.unstrung.com/insider. For more information on all of Light Reading's Insider services, please visit www.lightreading.com/research.

Smartphone Security: Solving the Mobile Malware Problem is available as part of an annual single-user subscription (12 monthly issues) to Unstrung Insider, priced at $1,595. Individual reports are available for $900 (single-user license).