Security news
Security news24 June 2007
Suspected mobile phone virus author arrested 28-year-old man apprehended in Valencia, Spain
The worms were designed to infect mobile phones running the Symbian operating system.
Experts at Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, have welcomed news that Spanish authorities have arrested a man suspected of writing and distributing a mobile phone virus.
According to a statement issued by Spanish police, a 28-year-old man was arrested in Valencia following a seven month investigation. The man, who has not been named, is accused of creating and spreading over 20 different variants of the Cabir and Commwarrior worms, which attempt to infect mobile phones running the Symbian operating system.
Embedded inside the worms alleged to have been written by the man are references to "Leslie", which is said to be the name of the suspect's fiancee.
Spanish police claim that as many as 115,000 mobile phones may have been struck by the malware.
"Cellphone viruses are not as common as the malware which strikes Windows desktops on a regular basis, but it is just as illegal in its intent. Viruses are not harmless pranks; they cause real harm disrupting business and personal communications as well as destroying and stealing sensitive data," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "The computer crime authorities around the globe are becoming more experienced at tracking down hackers and virus writers, and malware authors should be asking themselves whether it's really worth taking the risk."
In a Sophos survey conducted earlier this year, 81 percent of business IT administrators expressed concern that malware and spyware targeting mobile devices will become a significant threat in the future. However, 64 percent also said they currently have no solution in place to secure company smartphones and PDAs.*
- Read more about Sophos Mobile Security
- Hot topic: Securing your mobile workforce
- Listen to a podcast about securing your mobile workforce
* Source: Sophos online poll, 612 respondents, November 2006 and 373 respondents, January 2007.
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
