Almost no one these days thinks of using a computer on the internet without some kind of virus protection, and hopefully some sort of a firewall. But the same can't be said of portable computing devices and smart phones. So far, such attacks have been relatively rare and the devices themselves have only become widely adopted fairly recently.
But not only are the devices more common, but the data stored on them more important, and the devices are increasingly connected. WiFi, bluetooth and mobile phone internet capabilities are putting devices within the reach of malicious code more than ever.
IBM is reporting for 2005 that
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Based on early indicators, a new and troubling trend this year may be the aggressive spread of viruses and worms to handheld devices, cell phones, wireless networks, and embedded computers, which include car and satellite communication systems.
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There are some anti-virus programs available already, but not much is known about them by the typical user. They do not generally get rave reviews, nor are they reviewed much at all. In fact, they have been considered overkill.
So, 2005 is the year of the rooster, the year of handheld computing, the year of mp3 phones, and now it's also the year of portable device viruses!
(via PocketPCThoughts)