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Why dont you need internet security for your phone/ipod
Sunkissed
23-06-2010
.....a wondering that popped into my head whilst browsing the net on my ipod this morning. Can i pick up an internet nasty???
iHelix
23-06-2010
I'm not entirely sure but I am pretty sure there are some nasty things that will effect iPods/iPhones if you're not careful. With them both being big sellers, there is surely bound to be someone out there who will develop some kind of virus for them?
Graathus
23-06-2010
Because they are still a small niche market and not really worth the effort of doing nasty things to. There have been some suggestions of it starting though and will probably change.

I still wouldn't use it for online payments/banking.
Nilrem
23-06-2010
Originally Posted by Graathus:
“Because they are still a small niche market and not really worth the effort of doing nasty things to. There have been some suggestions of it starting though and will probably change.

I still wouldn't use it for online payments/banking.”

That is a large part of it.

There is also the fact that at the moment the Ipod/iphone/ipad/ican'tmultiiaskuntilversion3a are pretty securely locked down in terms of what can run on them (unless they've been "jail broken"), and the things that can run on them are from memory limited quite severely in how they interact with each other (from memory you can't copy paste from one app to another as an example).
Which makes it quite hard for someone to write a programme that can cause issues and get people to install it, unlike PC's where the systems are much more complex and by nature open to apps running on them.

IIRC there has been a couple of virus type things for phones in the past, but they've been quite limited due to vast number of different phones out there and the way they limit what runs (and that most people don't install much onto a phone that isn't from their provider who will have checked it out).
Hypnodisc
23-06-2010
Originally Posted by Nilrem:
“That is a large part of it.

There is also the fact that at the moment the Ipod/iphone/ipad/ican'tmultiiaskuntilversion3a are pretty securely locked down in terms of what can run on them (unless they've been "jail broken"), and the things that can run on them are from memory limited quite severely in how they interact with each other (from memory you can't copy paste from one app to another as an example).
Which makes it quite hard for someone to write a programme that can cause issues and get people to install it, unlike PC's where the systems are much more complex and by nature open to apps running on them.

IIRC there has been a couple of virus type things for phones in the past, but they've been quite limited due to vast number of different phones out there and the way they limit what runs (and that most people don't install much onto a phone that isn't from their provider who will have checked it out).”

This is bang on! The same way Mac computers can't really get viruses because of the operating system security, iPhones and iPads are immune too (or rather, it would be extremely tricky to write some sort of bug).

Viruses do exist for Windows Phones and Symbians - but they don't spread in the same way as computer viruses do because of the limited nature of the technology, and are therefore not very common.
Daveoc64
23-06-2010
Originally Posted by Hypnodisc:
“This is bang on! The same way Mac computers can't really get viruses because of the operating system security, iPhones and iPads are immune too (or rather, it would be extremely tricky to write some sort of bug).”

It's not at all the same way.

The simplest thing is that iPhones and iPod touches can't run unsigned software.

All software on a regular iPhone must be approved by Apple and obtained through the App Store.

With a normal computer operating system like Mac OS X, Windows or Linux it is up to the user to decide what software can run. If the user allows a virus to run then it can do what it likes to their computer, that would simply not be possible with iOS.

Other mobile operating systems (like webOS, Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile) have similar approaches to iOS, restricting what software can be run.

The same security restrictions apply to devices like Games Consoles and Set Top Boxes, which are simply not allowed to run any unauthorised software (like a virus).
Sunkissed
23-06-2010
ok....so is it ok to check my bank balance on one for example?
Mystic Eddy
23-06-2010
Originally Posted by Sunkissed:
“ok....so is it ok to check my bank balance on one for example?”

Yes, providing that the Wi-Fi you're connecting to is secured.
David Tee
23-06-2010
Originally Posted by Hypnodisc:
“This is bang on! The same way Mac computers can't really get viruses because of the operating system security, iPhones and iPads are immune too (or rather, it would be extremely tricky to write some sort of bug).

Viruses do exist for Windows Phones and Symbians - but they don't spread in the same way as computer viruses do because of the limited nature of the technology, and are therefore not very common.”

Myth, I'm afraid.

Apple sneaks anti-malware update into latest Mac OS X
PrinceGaz
24-06-2010
The iPhone/iPad/iTouch are relatively secure because of the reasons stated, primarily
a) all installed apps run with limited privileges; they cannot affect the underlying OS, and all apps are checked before being allowed onto the AppStore
b) the browser does not support some of the primary attack routes, Flash being a major example

It actually makes no real difference if you check your bank account balance through a secured WiFi connection or a totally open one, as any reputable bank will use a secure (https) website supporting TLS encryption, meaning it doesn't matter if a third-party reads all the traffic sent over the network as they have no way of decrypting the actual data sent between you and the bank. The whole point of secure websites is that they do not require any additional encryption over that used by the website and your browser.

If you jailbreak your iDevice and then install unapproved apps or apps from other sources, then you open yourself up to the possibility of trojans. The danger can be reduced to some extent by changing the root password of the iDevice from its default of 'alpine' to something else immediately after jailbreaking, as that should ensure that rogue apps can't take full control (they are likely to be hardcoded to gain root priveliges with the alpine password, and if that fails will probably just crash as there is no point continuing).

I'd expect in a year or two at most that security software of some sort will be normal for smartphones as by then they will be at least as powerful as today's netbooks.
cnbcwatcher
01-07-2010
Originally Posted by Hypnodisc:
“This is bang on! The same way Mac computers can't really get viruses because of the operating system security, iPhones and iPads are immune too (or rather, it would be extremely tricky to write some sort of bug).

Viruses do exist for Windows Phones and Symbians - but they don't spread in the same way as computer viruses do because of the limited nature of the technology, and are therefore not very common.”

Someone was telling me this morning how great it was that Macs don't get viruses and you don't even need antivirus software! It drives me nuts on Windows, slowing my laptop down to the same speed as the racing snails that were on BGT one night (was during the auditions, they didn't get through)
alanwarwic
01-07-2010
Yep.

Safer with a nanny phone.
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