[infiniteillusions]

So I saw a few antivirus apps for the Droid, is this something we should be worried about yet?

[StaticFX]

Android is Linux based, while not impossible.. linux is very hard to infect with virus'.

so, in my opinion... nope not for a long while.

[thebignewt]

That's a coming thing, to scare you with virus stories and get you to purchase software. I have never heard of a phone virus myself. They have too few users to bother with imo. Maybe someday.

[infiniteillusions]

Yeah, I haven't heard of any "phone viruses" yet either, that's why I didn't install it, just wanted a little more feedback on it. Thanks

[Yodes]

Yeah, I haven't heard of any "phone viruses" yet either, that's why I didn't install it, just wanted a little more feedback on it. Thanks

Same here. The closest thing to a phone virus I've heard of is the iphone hack on jail-broken iphones.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[sinfuldragon]

but could you imagine the amazing chaos it would cause if someone made one and took down all VZW phones for a day?

[Accidental Post]

Although a Virus is highly unlikely the app lookout is AV, Backup and Missing Device software AIO.

[infiniteillusions]

but could you imagine the amazing chaos it would cause if someone made one and took down all VZW phones for a day?

Oh man, that would suck, considering the fact that I just switched from AT&T and the iJunk. I would be most unhappy.

[sinfuldragon]

I would too, but it would make me smile a little thinking about the people running around like their head is on fire because their phone didn't work.

"What do you mean I have to use a laptop to check my email" LOL.... course my entire sales team would be franticly calling me.... but worth it for like 30 minutes, then they better get it fixed.

Otherwise how would I post my fishing scores online?!?!?!?!?!?!

[x1208x]

The only time you should be worried about a virus is if you download 3rd party app from an untrusted source. And untrusted source.

[tghockey07]

Even though virus' are rare I still use Lookout Mobile Security on my Droid, because it was free and it can locate your phone if it was lost/stolen too!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[TheSultan]

The closest I've seen to a phone virus is what's called "Flashing"--and I don't think anyone's bothered with it in a while. Though, as phones continue to get more complex, I'm sure it will be an issue in the future :/

[DF400ex]

Android is Linux based, while not impossible.. linux is very hard to infect with virus'.

so, in my opinion... nope not for a long while.

Not exactly... The reason that the vast majority of malware (ie. virus, trojans, worms, etc.) affects windows is the fact that some 90% of the computers out there run a Windows OS. Linux/Unix is really not really that much more secure than Windows... in fact, in the corporate environment Linux machines are less patched and up to date than windows machines because they are thought of as being more secured and there isn't a 'patch Tuesday' for most Linux boxes.

If you were a hacker/script kiddie, the biggest bang for your buck would be to write malicious code for windows... simply because 90% of the boxes out there are windows. It's like throwing a dart at 90 balloons on the wall instead of just 10.

There has been an increase of malware that targets Mac's because of their recent (last couple of years) increase in sales.

There is an acute need for smart phone antivirus, especially for the Droid. There should be cooperation from the manufacturer and the AV company to develop good AV during testing so it is commercially available when the device launches.

There haven't really been a lot of malicious software developed for the Droid yet, or that the masses have heard about, simply because, well, they haven't. Linux is Linux, so it's not like the hackers don't know how to exploit it. In fact... most hackers use Linux.

With smart phones like the Droid, you can access the internet through your mobile network and through any wifi access point. This means there is no real AV between your phone and the internet. These phones have and will get infected, it's just that there is not a huge library of malware for them yet.

I have seen malware that can exploit the Droid and other Android OS devices, but not many get infected. Some are adapted Linux exploits and some are written especially for the Android OS. You just have to bee smart about what you do with your phone... You need to only go to trusted sites online, only dl apps from the market or a trusted site, etc. Just do what you do with your computer to minimize your risk.


StaticFX... I'm not attacking you, just using your post to highlight the fact that Linux and the Android OS is not impenetrable and needs AV (in a long winded response). I agree that it will be a while before there is widespread smart phone malware, but there is some already.


Before anyone says that I don't know what I'm talking about... I do Cyber Security, which means that I do heavy malware research and see zero day exploits on a daily basis. We actually analyzed Linux based mobile OS's, like the Droid's Android 2.0 for their security... basically good AV that does not slow the system down and allows for full functionality would be a good and preemptive move, but a good move none the less.

[Fiery]

A few interesting articles on iPhone security.
The Mac Security Blog � iPhone

It is something you should worry about.

[DF400ex]

Yeah, there is a reason why BlackBerries still dominate the corporate world. Especally where security is paramount. A company I worked with (a big government contractor) evauated the iPhone because their execs wanted it instead of his BlackBerry (because the iPhone 3Gs was cooler or something to the execs). They decided against, and actually wrote a policy that prevents anyone from using an iPhone on their network until their security is improved. They found that they could break the phones encryption in 5 minutes and compromise the data. This means that someone could steal the CEO, CFO, or the Exec VP's iPhones and crack them with little effort and the rest you can figure out.