Mobile Viruses Could Get Nasty Fast

The dream of a connected world where PCs and mobile phones can communicate with the digital home and other devices is supposed to make life easier. But it could instead make life far more dangerous if malware developers have their way.

And it's not just the possibility of losing a credit card number. With microchips and software becoming more and more a part of life, such as in cars, homes and mobile phones, the threats multiply dramatically.

For example, mobile phone services in some countries let people see what's going on inside their house via a Web cam connected to motion sensors, snapping a picture and sending to the homeowner if anything seems awry. But a hacker could use that same Web cam to see if anyone's home, and perhaps break in. Or invade people's privacy by taking pictures of what's going on in the house. And could a marauder hack into a driver's mobile phone use it to shut down certain automobile systems, like the brakes?

Such scenarios are becoming increasingly possible as more gadgets, such as mobile phones, become connected to the Internet, said Dhillon Kannabhiran, founder of the Hack in the Box Security Conference being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this week.

Part of the problem is that stronger security in PCs and on servers has made it more difficult to attack such devices.