First mobile phone virus discovered

[boscolio]

THE first ever computer virus that can infect mobile phones has been discovered, anti-virus software developers said today, adding that up until now it has had no harmful effect.

The French unit of the Russian security software developer Kaspersky Labs said that that virus - called Cabir - appears to have been developed by an international group specialising in creating viruses which try to show "that no technology is reliable and safe from their attacks".

Cabir infects the Symbian operating system that is used in several makes of mobiles, notably the Nokia brand, and propagates through the new bluetooth wireless technology that is in several new mobile phones.

If the virus succeeds in penetrating the phone, it writes the inscription 'Caribe' on the screen and is then activated every time that the phone is turned on.

It is able to scan for phones that are also using the Bluetooth technology and is able to send a copy of itself to the first handset that it finds.

According to the anti-virus software developer F-Secure, the discovery of Cabir is proof that the technologies are now available to create viruses for mobile phones and that they are now known to the writers of computer viruses.

Anti-virus experts have been warning for months that mobile phone viruses are set to multipy, given the increasingly diverse uses of mobile phones.

Source: News.com.au

[Akasha]

Dayum... lucky I don't use my mobile all that much - it's one of those, "here hunny, put it in your purse in case the car breaks down or something" phones. :D

[Salalorn]

LOL,

for some reason I find this funny as all get out.... (migh stem back to the fight I had with a few of my freinds on the fact that I said that the worse viruses arn't going to be on the computer but on our cell phones...)

stay safe everyone,
-Sala

[boscolio]

the more digital the signals get the easier it will be to hack. although it will be more complex it will also allow for more loopholes in the system.

<--glad his phone sucks :D

[R2D2]

Yea heard about the attacks on nokia telephones this morning...

However these viruses was SO far not damaging to your telephone, it was only to "say that you could"...

Hey im working on a conspiracy theory.... meybe it was the telephone companys who made the virus, of course knowing that it wouldnt harm but make the users worried...and then profit from making the equipment to counter their own virus to make good sales.... just a thought