Virus protection for your Windows Phone
Mobile phones are getting smarter and smarter and smartphones are getting intelligent. So where are we heading to? The phone is now a versatile mobile device. It has replaced, or rather integrated, many different functionalities into a single hand-held device. The internet is being used very widely and frequently on the mobile phone. The Internet has been susceptible to a constant threat. Now the same threat looms over the mobile smartphone- the Virus.
Fortunately the threat on mobile phones is not as severe as we have experienced sadly in PCs, laptop computers and very similar portable devices. The need for protection has however been raised meaningfully, as it is wise to learn from our past bitter experiences. The time is ripe and there is a pre-emptive move to address the need. So when your smartphone or micro-computer gets affected and hangs up, you need to use anti-virus software. The first thing to know, is which operating system is installed in your phone. The next step is to outsource the compatible anti-virus software and get a solution to counter this threat. There are options available for Windows Phone platforms too.
Preventive steps are better than treatment.
The infection of virus can be through the usage of the internet and downloads, or it could be via Bluetooth, SMS or MMS messages or Memory card exchanges. Sometimes it is difficult to stop the virus coming through Bluetooth or if a Wi-Fi connection is used. If you are able to detect it in time, deactivate the process or switch off the facility or the phone, if you can. Do not install pirated software or accept messages sent via Bluetooth; rather accept only from known sources. An infected memory card can have files that can automatically execute, so if it is possible to scan the card, the better. MMS from unknown sources can be avoided. But if the virus is unwittingly sent from a known source, then its unavoidable. You have to resort to an anti-virus software to remove the virus.
Proceed to cure & protect.
Download a compatible anti-virus from a reliable source or buy legal anti-virus software and load it. Scan the mobile phone for threats, detection, or removal of virus. If the phone has media then, scan them too, to be sure. You must restart the phone after scanning. To make sure, scan a second time. Reset your phone to factory settings, which usually wipes out all memory. Later on periodically scan or check with the software. If any problem persists, contact the phone manufacturer.
Anti-Virus Software available
We must understand that the market is just growing. So branded software offering virus protection for mobile phones are not many. But a few suppliers have started to offer such a solution, as awareness is increasing. Some of the software available are given here.
McAfee Virus Scan Mobile:
A recognised software developer McAfee has begun to offer such a mobile product from March 2009. The software uses a minimum of the phone’s resources to be run. In fact, it’s claimed it can run while the phone is in use. McAfee gives a real-time defence against threats that target the mobile phone, mobile devices, mobile content and mobile services.
Kaspersky Mobile Security 9:
This is also another anti-virus software for mobile phones from Kaspersky. Not only does it protect but also prevents identity theft too. It also features family controls to help parents prevent incoming or outgoing usage of certain numbers and has tracking with help of Google Maps and GPS Find to locate the device/user.
Ahnlab Mobile Security:
Ahn Lab is a South Korean security solutions provider that has produced software security for the iPhone , Android and Blackberry mobile phones from March 2010. The software offers protection from communications channels like SMS, MMS and email attachments, a “Virus Scan & Cure” for attachments, plus real-time monitoring. It also updates protections automatically or manually.
BullGuard Mobile Antivirus:
This is an anti-virus software that blocks malicious content coming in through Bluetooth connectivity, email attachments, SMS or MMS. Bull Guard has 24×7 support and over-the-air updates for the loaded version. Scans can be made whenever necessary.
F-Secure Mobile Security:
1. This anti-virus software offers protection against download-able threats including those transmitted through email, SMS, MMS or Bluetooth. Using F-Secure while web browsing, blocks harmful websites. F-Secure also offers theft protection, makes the phone traceable, and continuously updates to keep the consumer’s protection active against the latest malicious threats.
Airscanner Antivirus:
An anti-virus software which has been used by millions, Airscanner is one of the oldest and widely used on the Windows Mobile operating system. It has cutting edge software and pioneering anti-malware research behind it. It has real-time background scanning on optimised speed, to detect quarantine or eradicate airborne viruses.
Symantec Mobile:
This software offers secure mobile computing as it provides a comprehensive virus protection and quarantine against malicious threats. The easy to update Wireless Live Update ensures upgraded security definitions.
Trend Micro:
To protect against malware attacks, data theft, viruses, infected text messages and such other problems Trend Micro Mobile Security has the packaged protection. It has on-device alerts to respond promptly to threats. It’s optimised to preserve handset performance and leaves a minimal install footprint.
Best to opt for protection
Mobile phones or smartphones are increasingly becoming small computers. So they are also become susceptible to virus or malware like PCs or laptops. The best thing to do to protect your valuable data and functionality of device, is to opt for a security product from a reliable company. The software installed can detect malicious content. Protect the operating system using real-time automatic and on-demand virus scan. The firewall should protect data and applications using protocol and port filtering.
Consistent upgrades will protect from potential threats.
About phone Viruses
The phone virus demonstrated its existence in 2004. The virus “Cabir” is a computer worm that affects the Symbian OS phones, spread through Bluetooth. After Cabir, malicious code writers further modified it to make it more harmful. Variants and other viruses could completely disable the phone. Others could delete the data or send long messages. By 2006 several Trojan viruses were around, like the SymbOS Sendtool which affects the Symbian OS. The PB Stealer family of Trojans move via Bluetooth. C Dropper belongs to the family of Symbian SIS file Trojans that can install Cabir variants. The virus that created news was the CommWarrior, which is found to infect memory media like SD cards or memory sticks. It spread through MMS, or messages having audio, video or picture files. By far the most malicious virus detected has been WINCE_INFOJACK.A, a worm. It runs on Windows CE and steals data or changes the security settings.
So smartphones, mobile devices and communication gadgets have to have virus protection as these devices become more versatile, sophisticated and powerful.
