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November 06, 2008, 03:51 PM ET
Report on 'Emerging Cyber Threats' Raises Security Concerns About Smartphones
Internet-surfing cell phones were one of five top “emerging cyber threats” named in a new report by Georgia Tech’s Information Security Center.
The number of people who own iPhones or other smartphones is growing rapidly, and users are beginning to store and send personal information from the devices, making them a potentially rich target for cyber-attackers. “As these devices have richer functionality, you’re going to be able to install applications, and we’re going to run into the same kind of problems” that laptops and desktops have, said Mustaque Ahamad, director of the center, in an interview.
Another top threat cited in the report was malware, software designed to harm or take over a computer. Malware is usually disguised as something a user would want to open, like an e-mail attachment or a link on a Web site. These days cyber-criminals are using Facebook and other social networks to distribute malware. “The recipient clicks on the link supposedly sent by his/her friend, and then sees a prompt to install the latest version of Flash Player in order to watch the video clip,” the report says. “The user clicks to install the update, but actually installs a piece of malware on the machine.” The report projects a tenfold increase in the number of instances of malware in 2008 compared to 2007.
This was the second year the center issued a report on emerging trends in cybersecurity. —Jeffrey R. Young
Categories: Security
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