Viruses and trojans are beginning to appear on handhelds, still in small numbers. Larry Garfield muses on how to head off the problem before it gets too big to handle.
Long a malware-free domain, the mobile world has had a few scares with malicious programs from viruses to trojans to worms, leading many to worry about the safety of their mobile devices. The long term threat is real, but the "buy our software" answer that some companies are putting forward is not the full solution, just as it isn't on the desktop.
To date the number of actual malware programs for handhelds can be counted on one hand. Nonetheless, many companies have started selling anti-virus software for handhelds, including both traditional anti-virus companies like Symantec and McAfee as well as some newcomers. Whether such efforts prove to be saviors or merely opportunistic remains to be seen. Note that the problem of malware is different from data privacy, keeping private information private in case a handheld is lost or stolen. Even without 3rd party software, there are steps that both users and developers can and should take to keep n'er-do-wells out of their systems.
Some guidelines are the same as on the desktop, and seem obvious until they are repeatedly violated. Never run a program that doesn't come from a trusted source. That includes e-mail attachments, which are the most common way for viruses or trojans to spread on modern systems. Also, avoid programs which require opening up access to your handheld to the outside world. Such "server processes" that accept incoming connections are the main way that worms spread. (Worms are self-contained, self-replicating programs whereas viruses need to piggyback on another program to run. Trojans work by tricking the user into thinking they are a legitimate program so that he will run it.) On a handheld, the only sorts of programs that should ever accept incoming requests are push e-mail clients, so users of such programs (and developers) should be very careful about which they install.
Other safety guidelines are more handheld-specific. Some worms can spread via Bluetooth, but only if it can find the device in the first place. To avoid that, disable Discoverable mode on any Bluetooth devices except when pairing a device or preparing to deliberately receive data from someone you know. Also, be aware that malicious programs can be installed from the desktop when synchronizing. In fact, that is an easier way for malicious programs to get onto a handheld than over a sporadic Internet connection. Be sure to keep any paired desktops tightly secured.
Users also need to encourage platform developers (Microsoft, PalmSource, and Symbian) and application developers to design their software in such a way that it is harder for malicious hackers (also known as "black hat hackers", not to be confused with "white hat hackers" who try to prevent security breakins or general "hackers", a term more synonymous with "computer enthusiast") to invade systems. Some methods that have worked in the past for desktops and servers include preventing non-administrative users from having write-access to programs and strictly separating user data from application data. No current handhelds have a split between "administrators" and "users", but it may not be a bad idea to require a system password to install applications. It may be inconvenient, but it could become necessary. After all, smart users already have password protection on their Secure PIM (Palm OS, Pocket PC) applications for sensitive data. Maintaining a separation between user data and executable code is also very important, and in fact the existence of so many "macro viruses" for Microsoft Word is a direct result of not following that principle.
Currently, Palm OS devices have an edge on Windows Mobile, ironically because of the lack of true user-space multi-tasking. It's harder (though not impossible) for a worm or virus to function if it has to be the visible application to do so. Palm OS 6 "Cobalt", however, which should be appearing on devices this fall, does allow for fully background processes, so unless PalmSource has been very careful that could be an opening for malware as well as cool new programs. On the other hand, the fact that Palm OS will not accept transferred programs via IR or Bluetooth without explicit user-approval has been a good defense, and hopefully will remain so.
Let us all hope that developers learn from past mistakes on the desktop and secure their systems from the beginning, making it easier for users to engage in their own best practices.
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