| The recent online reports confirm the mobile phones to be not secure anymore. Security firms worked Monday and Tuesday to figure out the first network worm that traveled through mobile phones. It is more of a demonstration and doesn't pose much risk, reported the security firms.
The worm has been dubbed "Cabir" by Kaspersky Labs, which is a security firm. The lab reported that the new worm uses Bluetooth wireless standard to transfer to networks. Bluetooth is currently being used by high-end smart phone models from makers like Nokia. These smart phones utilize the Symbian operating system to operate. Kaspersky Labs reported that the worm arrives in inbox (caribe.sis) and when accepted by the user, it goes out to look for Bluetooth connected devices to infect.
Kaspersky Labs, Panda Software, and Symantec reported the danger to be low-risk to networks. The worm, however, will reduce the battery life of the phone considering the fact that it constantly checks for Bluetooth connected devices.
Security firms such as Symantec and cell phone makers agree that the whole point of creating the worm was to inform the potential dangers that can spread via wireless standards such as Bluetooth and devices such as cell phones. The worm can even spread to unrelated devices like Printers, but it wouldn't be able to spread after that.
Future versions and new revisions of the "mobile" worms can pose quite a bit of danger to cell phone users. According to reports, users will soon have to look at security options that one model has to offer along with features and specifications.
Kaspersky Labs report the authors of the worm to be 29a, which is a group of virus writers who are known to create proof-of-concept code. The 29a group were the same authors who wrote the Rugrat, which attacks Microsoft's upcoming 64-bit operating system.
The Cabir is mainly designed for Nokia's 60 series phones, however, it can attack various models that use the Symbian operating system. Symbian OS is highly popular amongst cell phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Siemens, and Sony Ericcson, according to a TechWeb report.
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