All Smartphone owners should be aware of and concerned about
viruses that affect Smartphones, but most aren't. Studies show that only 4 percent of mobile
phones users use virus protection software. Phones infected with malware,
Trojan horses and other viruses leave your phone unusable, send the virus to
your contacts or worse. Thus it is necessary to protect your phone(s) from
viruses. Protecting your phone is a twofold process; avoid potential viruses
and download legitimate virus protection on your phone.
1. Open attachments on your phone with the same caution as
you do on your computer. This includes attachments in emails and in MMS
messages. Don't open attachments from people you don't know. Also, don't open
attachments from a contact if the message looks suspicious. Your contact's
phone or computer may be infected with a virus that is emailing or messaging
itself to everyone on his contact list, including you.
2. Watch for suspicious links sent through email or text
messages. Never click on questionable links. Like attachments, these may be
sent by people you don't know who are posing as individuals on your contact
list. If you are suspicious about a link sent to you by a contact, email or
text message the sender to ask if he sent the message. He may not know his
phone or computer is infected by a virus that is sending messages to his
contacts.
3. Download apps only from legitimate app stores, and read
the reviews before buying to make sure there is no buzz about a virus attached
with the app. The Malicious Mobile Threats Report finds that as the demand for
apps increases, so does the proliferation of viruses, particularly spyware.
Viruses can transfer through any type of application, including gaming apps,
fake anti-virus apps, fake financial-tracking apps and social networking apps.
4. Practice safe memory card use. Never share your memory
card with another cell phone. An infected memory card can spread a virus to
each phone it contacts.
5. Set the Bluetooth option on your phone to the
undiscoverable setting. Some viruses penetrate phones through a Bluetooth
connection. This attack is especially tricky; you need only walk by an infected
Bluetooth device while your phone is discoverable, and the virus can transfer
to your phone. The first documented Bluetooth virus, the Cabir virus, which
arrived in 2004, didn't harm your phone or steal valuable information, but it
ran the phone battery down quickly by constantly trying to discover nearby Bluetooth
connections through which to spread. Current Bluetooth viruses are more
malicious; they steal contact information and disable phones.
6. Protect your iPhone from malware and other virus
infections with anti-virus apps. Choose from a handful of well-known and
trusted anti-virus software providers, as some viruses present themselves as
inexpensive or free virus software from unknown companies. SmrtGuard Solutions'
Snap Secure app and the Lookout Mobile Security app from Lookout Inc. both
protect your iPhone from viruses while backing up your important data and
allowing you to track or wipe your iPhone if it's lost or stolen. McAfee
Enterprise Mobility Management from Trust Digital is designed for business
environments with multiple mobile devices, including iPhones. Snap Secure,
Lookout Mobile Security and EMM are all free downloads at the iPhone App Store.
Intego created the Virus Barrier iOS software specifically for the iPhone and
iPad to scan for and block any viruses from transferring to your computer when
you connect the mobile device to it. Virus Barrier can be downloaded from the
App Store for a small fee.
7. If you own an Android-powered phone, download anti-virus
from reliable suppliers to protect your personal information. The Kaspersky
Mobile Security app offers find-and-wipe services as well as virus and spam
protection. In addition to standard virus scans, Norton Mobile Security can
lock your phone to protect personal data during a virus attack or if the phone
is lost or stolen. The Bullguard Mobile Security app protects against viruses,
identity theft and online fraud, and it offers parental controls, a basic
backup and SIM card protection. All these apps are available for download from
the Android Market.
8. Add anti-virus protection for your BlackBerry with
Bullguard Mobile Security, which offers a user-friendly online interface that
allows you to manage your virus protection and back up information from your
phone or your computer. Also useful is SmrtGuard's Snap Secure app for handy
information in addition to virus protection; the app warns how new apps may
affect your privacy settings and leave your device vulnerable to virus attack.
The app also provides BlackBerry users with Personal Guardian service, with
which you create a panic button that sends out a text message or phone call
with your location. The NetQin Mobile Security for BlackBerry app provides two
levels of protection: one local for your phone and one cloud based. It offers
real-time virus scanning and a backup of all your data. Download Snap Secure
from the BlackBerry App World. Bullguard Mobile Security and NetQin Mobile
Security are available for download at the developers' websites.
9. Even if your Windows computer is protected with
anti-virus software, you still need a separate mobile app for your phone. Find
Windows Mobile virus protection with the Kaspersky Mobile Security app, which
offers a full range of protection not available in its BlackBerry and Android
apps. These additional features include data encryption and parental controls.
In addition to virus protection, the Bullguard Mobile Security app offers a
spam filter and firewall protection with its Windows Mobile apps, which are not
offered with its Android and BlackBerry versions. NetQin's NQ Mobile Security
for Windows Phone app offers anti-virus scans and data backups as well as
private and safe-browsing capabilities. NQ Mobile Security is available from
the Windows Phone Marketplace. Kaspersky Mobile Security and Bullguard Mobile
Security can be downloaded from the developers' websites.
We wish you Good luck as you make efforts to protect your
phones from viruses.
ADMIN
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