With the increasing use of the mobile to access the Internet — check e-mail, surfing WAP (wireless application protocol - Web sites designed for mobile Internet) portals, downloading legal music or even working, owners are asking for trouble by ignoring security, say experts.

By the end of this year, the Indian cellular subscriber base is forecast to touch 200 million — a huge sitting target. Handset makers such as Nokia have begun to offer anti-virus solutions with their smart phones. Experts predict that, soon, handsets will come `bundled' with anti-virus software just as personal computers and laptops are now offered with basic anti-virus.

Today, mobile phones and even smart phones have absolutely no protection, says Mr Manoj Pant, Managing Director - India, Roamware Inc. This Mumbai-based security firm offers Spam Filter — a software that would help control spam by detecting and blocking messages containing certain keywords, exact expressions, and expressions in the body of the messages.

Besides controlling spam, other measures, both at the operator level and handset (embedded security) have to be undertaken for a complete solution. "Corporates distributing personal digital assistants (PDA) to their sales staff for remote logins should be aware of the risk," said Mr Altaf Halde, Country Manager, Pointsec Mobile Technology (India).

Embedded security

In a recent survey by IDC in India, data theft was pegged as the second largest concern. Over the Internet, hackers and malicious programmers can easily access and control the mobile to spread more viruses.

This is where embedded security plays a part. "Embedded security is catching the attention of phone makers too. As users continue to use mobiles for m-commerce or business automation, the necessity for authentication and data protection has become a reality," said Mr Srikiran Raghavan, Regional Sales Head, RSA Security, a security firm that offers encryption solutions.

THREATS IGNORED

Security over Internet on mobiles is not being given the importance it deserves as most of the threats go undetected on mobile phones. Users are unaware of the danger and usually bypass the warning signs, in the form of messages or questions and install viruses, said Mr Pant. More bandwidth, while opening up a new world of possibilities for mobile users, will increase the vulnerability of their handsets towards cyber threats, he said.

IDC indicates that from 2003 to 2008, the worldwide mobile security software market for secure content management software will have a compound annual growth rate of 87 per cent. Once handsets that are capable of installing programs begin to see traction in the Indian market, concern for safety will mount, said a Spice official.

Taken from Business Line

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