Mobile handsets will be more secure than PCs

The best security from malware that mobile handset users have today is the proliferation of systems. With so many CPUs, operating systems proprietary applications working in the handset market, it's hardly worth a hacker's time to attack a device with so few potential victims. That's changing, suggests Adrian Turner, CEO of San Francisco-based Mocana, Corp. He points to "a convergence" on Linux and the ARM chip in mobile devices, "which creates a standard to attack." He also points to recent actions by Apple to open the iPhone to outside developers, Verizon embracing third-party apps and Google's Android initiative for mobile application developers as potential vectors for malware. Still, Turner believes the industry will deliver secure handsets because, "We got it so wrong on the PC." His claims that carriers will actively pursue enterprise customers with certified, secure handsets. These new handsets will handle everything from IPsec, SSL and SSH to malware detection, policy enforcement, and more. Carriers or service providers could also offer certificate authority services to the enterprise for added security. Mocana, which already offers many of these security tools to handset developers, will be offering the ability to manage handset-patching remotely in the coming quarter. Turner says it's essential that the industry deliver bullet-proof security to mobile users. "There's too much at stake," he says.