Threat From Mobile Device Viruses a Sleeping Giant
Communication security experts do not all agree that cell phone and mobile device viruses pose imminent threats to U.S. consumers. Whether virus attacks become a problem in six months or five years might depend on how cell phone carriers react now to the threat potential.
A Gartner report by security analysts John Pescatore and John Girard released June 22 says that despite the warning signals being sent by antivirus companies, mobile phone users don't really have anything to worry about for two years. They reason that too few U.S. consumers use smart phones or wireless messaging to exchange executable files. They also conclude that the lack of a dominant mobile phone operating system will delay the spread of virus attacks.
Software security firm Trend Micro's (Nasdaq: TMIC) Todd Thieman said that the development of such viruses will hinge on how mobile phone carriers prepare for potential virus attacks.
