Is there a virus or a spy hiding in your pocket?

Quick…time to make sure you’re the highest eBay bidder on that vintage Mickey Mouse waffle maker. Your smartphone to the rescue!

Having access to the web and email from a smartphone can be a great convenience for your customers while at the same time an extreme hindrance because like computers, smartphones can be susceptible to spyware and viruses. Who has time these days to send out malicious attacks to smartphones when we’re all balancing work, school, and trying to remember what channel American Idol comes on?

Apparently, there are people out there who love to see your customers download email attachments that they thought were pictures of Grandma doing the twist at the wedding reception only to find out the attachment is a trojan. Luckily, smartphone anti-spyware and anti-virus applications are emerging to ensure that your customers’ sensitive data and phone functionality is not exploited.

iSpy-Ware

Spyware and malware only affecting computers is a thing of the past. It has gone mobile just like most other computer-originating security attacks. Many smartphone users are unsuspecting of spyware and malware just waiting to jump out in the form of ‘dancing smileys’ within MMS messages or infected files that are transferred via shareware sites for those who are looking for ‘free’ downloads. To ensure your customers are prepared, Kapersky offers Kapersky Mobile Security which contains an anti-spyware/malware application that comprehensively wards off spyware and malware. This application is available for your customers using Windows Mobile and Symbian OS on their smartphones. With a name like Kapersky, if I were spyware, I would scram.

Then, there are the beloved Blackberry smartphones that, contrary to popular belief, are not ‘invincible.’ SMobile Systems has developed its Anti-Theft & Identity Protection software to ease the minds of Blackberry users, so when they are ‘BBMing’ in meetings, they won’t have to worry about their messages mocking the different variety of peanuts in the office vending machine being intercepted by rogue software.

You can be prepared with a list of recommendations on what your customers may use to combat spyware and malware, but of course, suggestions will be dependent upon the OS being used on the smartphone.

Virus Protection…Don’t Leave Home Without It

Customers using the Windows Mobile OS will be saddened to find out that their smartphones are the most targeted OS for viruses because quite frankly, Windows Mobile is everywhere. There is a ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel in the form of Symantec’s Norton Smartphone Security and Avira’s AntiVir Mobile. These applications are similar in their offerings in that they provide a fleet of services including anti-virus, anti-spam, and firewalls among other security features. Hopefully, if your customers configure the programs according to the manufacturer’s specifications, their smartphones will rival the security at Fort Knox.

Palm OS users can find solace in Avast! PDA Edition to join the fight in protecting the confidential information contained on their smartphones even if that ‘top secret’ data is only a video of Tom Cruise’s sock dance in Risky Business. Anti-virus applications for smartphones are comparable to those used on computers, so your customers may have questions regarding how to download them as well as how to enable and navigate the different features that are available.

How to Choose

Although the need for smartphone security software is not as elevated as computer security (especially for the iPhone, or so Apple would like to think), your customers will need to understand that they must prevent the problem before the problem happens. Smartphone usage is becoming increasing popular, and as long as there is a vulnerable OS out there to attack, attacks will happen.

Following are resources that you may provide to your customers on smartphone security software:

• Kapersky Lab: Kapersky Mobile Security

• Symantec: Norton Smartphone Security

• SMobile Systems: SMobile Anti-Theft & Identity Protection

• Avira: Avira AntiVir Mobile

• Avast!: Avast! PDA Edition

• Trend Micro: Trend Micro Mobile Security

Your tech support team will most likely be familiar with the common anti-spyware and anti-virus security questions that are asked, so that knowledge can be incorporated to assist with the mobile versions. Please feel free to leave your comments below, and we will help you find information that you can use to help your customers.