They are no longer called cell phones but “smartphones”: equipped with “intelligent” applications, the latest GSMs combine the functionalities of personal assistants and telephones. They offer real operating systems, multiple applications, games, Internet access and file-sharing via either a Bluetooth wireless, or infrared, connection: PDA-telephones now increasingly resemble mini-computers with, of course, all the advantages and drawbacks. Indeed, their new advanced functionalities mean that they are vulnerable to attacks from viruses and other worms. But, what is the real risk? Are viruses aimed at cell phones and PDAs merely media “hype”, which will soon fade away, or do they pose a real threat? Although, at the moment, the number of virus infections of these devices is very low, users should remain on their guard. Here are some explanations.
Commwarrior, Brador, Cabir, Palm Liberty or Mosquito: behind these mysterious names lie examples of some of the viruses identified which target mobile devices. Often these are simply “proof of concept” viruses – prototypes which have not been set free, but which are created for the sole purpose of demonstrating the existence of new infection techniques – which only present a small risk, mainly due to the actual environment of the targeted devices: the use of different operating systems by each brand and connections, especially to the Internet, which are still, globally, infrequent, limit the spread of such viruses. Amongst current threats, only Cabir and Commwarrior are able to propagate themselves, via files sent by Bluetooth in the first case, and by MMS in the second case. But, yet again, and luckily – the virus can only be released once users have installed the incoming file. Propagation via Bluetooth also limits the scope of the virus: indeed it can only be transmitted within a radius of a few metres.
For the time being, worms aimed at mobile devices are also easy to detect and only cause limited damage. If, of course, we do not take into account the destruction of files caused by Palm Liberty, or the cost of the SMS and MMS sent by Mosquito and Commwarrior! The number of infections is still low, but there is no guarantee that these “proof of concept” viruses will always remain mere prototypes. The Cabir virus, previously considered as a mere “lab” beast, became a real threat last year in the Philippines and Singapore during an international trade fair for…telephony.
As well as creating partitions, hard disk partitioning tools also provide a way of accurately managing their size and structure. You can play with parameters such as the size of a drive’s smallest storage unit (“clusters”, which define the smallest possible size an object will take up on the drive, even if its actual size is smaller). Reducing the minimum cluster size can free up a large amount of space on the hard disk. Furthermore, if you decide to install multiple operating systems, they will not be able to see each other and will therefore not be able to share data, but you can save space by creating a “common” partition containing personal data (images, etc.) that is accessible to all operating systems instead of having to store copies of the files on each partition.
PDAs (personal digital assistants) which operate under Windows CE or Palm OS, and "smartphones", using Symbian as the operating system, are the main targets of these viruses.
For the time being, viruses infecting mobile devices use fairly basic methods that always require the user’s intervention before being installed. Most of them are not sent automatically but are transmitted either by booby-trapped e-mails, consulted using the mobile device, or via infected files that are hidden in games or in programs downloaded from the Internet. The Palm Liberty virus offers victims a pirated version of a program, whilst Mosquito attracts users with a game which can be played on cell phones. As for the Brador virus, which is also downloaded from the Internet, it opens a “back-door” on the infected Pocket PC which enables it to be remotely controlled. Other viruses, such as Cabir and Commwarrior, are spread by messages sent via a Bluetooth connection or by MMS.
The rule of thumb is not to underestimate the nuisance factor of these new types of virus. The main mistake is ignoring their existence and forgetting about basic security guidelines. In the same way as when you use a traditional computer, don’t open suspicious or unsolicited messages. Only download applications and games from the editors’ official websites. To be 100% sure, we would advise using anti-virus software that has been specifically designed for cell phones or PDAs. If you use a handheld device with a Bluetooth or infrared connection, configure it to only be active when you want it to be.
MMS: Multimedia Message Service. A message service allowing messages containing text, images, sound or audio clips to be sent from, and received on, cell phones.
Back-Door: Confidential program access point, installed by designers so as to provide privileged access for tests or maintenance. Hackers who identify this point can use it to take control of the computer.
