One of my predictions for this year was that there would be a lot of scaremongering headlines about mobile viruses. But, on closer examination, they’d prove to be non-stories promoted by companies selling anti-virus software and faithfully reprinted by uncritical journalists, like this and this.

To clarify this position, I’ve never suggested that they will never be a threat, just not this year - I was predicting for 2005 only.

Gartner analysts John Pescatore and John Girard have now written a paper agreeing with me - better late than never, chaps They say the treat is unlikely to be real until 2007:

“Despite….intense vendor- and media-driven speculation ó and several well-publicised hoaxes ó the necessary conditions required for viruses or worms to pose a real rapidly spreading threat to more than 30 percent of enterprise mobile devices will not converge until year-end 2007,”

They identify two factors that need to be present. Firstly, Smartphones need to have 30%+ penetration. Secondly, that people will have to regularly exchange executable files. To which I’d add, or that people get used to receiving BlueSpam.

The Gartner boys also call for network operators to take the lead and install the anti-virus software on their networks, calling handset software “a last resort”. While I think that the operators should certainly take the initiative, any solution must be done simultaneously on the network and handset. Bluetooth, which must be a prime candidate for some transmission of infections, doesn’t go via the networks. Ignore this at your peril.

A final word of warning. Don’t be complacent about mobile virii, even now. If you get a file sent to you and you don’t know what it is, DON’T install it. You’ll be asked twice, so even if you accidentally get “yes” and “no” muddled up the first time, you can still get it right.

People are getting infected and the ZD Net story finishes with a quote from a mobile anti-virus software company (obviously an impeccable source):

“In fact, I just got a call this morning from the editor of a large Scandinavian IT publication; he got infected on his own phone last Thursday, at a press conference for a mobile phone company.”

Bearing in mind that the editor of an IT publication, must know something about IT, I just wonder why he agreed to install this file. What did he think he was installing, exactly?

I think we should be told.

Story source: ZD Net