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 Technology News | February 2007 
Virus Risk Rises with Gadget Use
 Jonathan Roeder - Herald Mexico
Online security specialists say that as Mexican consumers increasingly use high-tech gadgets such as smartphones, Palm Pilots and Blackberries, the threat from viruses and hackers is increasing at a similar pace.
According to market studies carried out by the technology consulting firm IDC and quoted by security software company Symantec - producer of Norton internet security software - 15 percent of the nation´s 46 million cellular phones are susceptible to viruses and security breaches.
Unprotected internet browsing, or the use of Bluetooth technology - a short range wireless system used to transfer data - with infected machines can result in a number of security problems, according to Victor Ibáñez, a security expert with Symantec.
These high-tech afflictions can cause the devices to send out text messages or calls without the user´s knowledge - which are then charged to the user´s account. Or, hackers can access confidential information such as credit card numbers used in online shopping or even overhear conversations undetected.
"The types of threats that we have today go beyond simple viruses that erase your data," Ibáñez said.
He added that Symantec has identified 235 different viruses that can affect handheld devices - still a fraction of the 150,000 possible viruses that afflict computers, but a growing threat nonetheless.
The majority of these advanced devices are used by consumers from the upper economic strata, Ibáñez said, estimating that over half of those who own such phones use them for online shopping and banking - making them potentially vulnerable targets for hackers.
Symantec and a number of other firms, such as Aladdin, F-Secure, McAfee and Microsoft offer software that protects wireless devices from viruses and security intrusions.
Additionally, Ibáñez recommends that users of Portable Digital Assistants (PDAs) or smartphones turn off Bluetooth and networking functions when they aren´t needed - a move that lessens the devices accessibility for viruses and hackers. Another tip is to only connect the devices with computers that are protected by firewalls and security software, since some viruses can be passed from PCs.
Security concerns in Mexico follow the worldwide trend - with more high-tech devices in use globally, there are more potential targets, and viruses and hackers are not confined by national boundaries.
For Eric Shalov, a U.S. security expert who lives in Mexico and has worked as a consultant for Mexican companies, the risk here is roughly the same as in countries such as the United States, noting users here use the same software, computers and cell phones as in other countries.
"There are likely fewer Mexican hackers per capita than in the United States, so the greater vulnerability to Mexicans is from software and ill-intending hackers from outside of the country," Shalov said.
He added that one factor that puts some Mexicans at risk is the tendency to use internet cafes, which generally charge hourly rates that are accessible for less affluent computer users.
"These Internet cafes are often much more vulnerable to ill-intending hackers, who can plant programs on cafe computers to record other users´ keystrokes, thus obtaining their passwords and personal information," he said.
For companies, Shalov said the biggest threat comes from "inside" jobs - "disgruntled or greedy employees that take advantage of the access they´re granted as part of their job responsibilities." |
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