Does the iPhone Need Antivirus Software?
Ever since the Flashback Trojan affected 600,000 Macs, Apple has been subjected to wide criticism for its inability to deal with security related issues. It has recently evoked strong criticism from Eugene Kaspersky, the CEO of Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab for Apple having denied them the permission to develop security software for iOS devices like the iPad and iPhone. According to him, it's relatively more complicated for the rogues to infect IOS. But once it does get infected, it will impossible to control because there is no protective software designed for them.
As reported, Macs have already been victims of malware due to Java vulnerability. This has sparked a debate within the Apple community as to whether the IOS devices like the iPhone and IPad need anti-malware for protection. There has been many speculations and arguments over this. In 2008, a Trojan horse for iPhone was discovered. It was more a warning than an actual threat. This horse had popped up on the device as a firmware update. However, no damage was reported after installation. Besides, the Trojan horse only targeted €jailbroken' phones, i.e., the phones that allowed installation of third party applications.
Is antivirus a necessity for iPhone?
As for now, the question lies in whether malware can infect non-jail broken iPhones or not. According to security researchers, iPhones could be the new target of cybercriminals more so because iOS users have been convinced into assuming that their device is far more secured than any other phone in the market. As per the critics, iOS platform is an insignificant target of malware and so home users would not require antivirus software.
Home users only need to ensure that their IPhone is not stolen or misplaced. Moreover, data loss can be avoided by securing the device with a passcode and installing Apple's €Find My iPhone'. This would also allow users to recover data from their stolen phone. On the other hand, things are not the same for business users. Given the complexity of iOS restricting malware threat, mass attack against iPhone users is a rare possibility. Nevertheless, a pre-planned attack targeted towards a specific body like a corporation or government agency, cannot be ruled out. In such circumstances, an app or jail-broken iOS device could be used to invade a network and spy on communications.
It is in this kind of a scenario, that an antimalware or endpoint security app would be handy. Endpoint security refers to a concept that assumes that every device is responsible for its own security. Having an iPhone without end point security would mean putting the entire network at risk.
According to Kaspersky, downloading of compromising legal software in the iPhone is the primary cause of malware attack. A malware that does not use vulnerabilities is almost impossible to develop. It has to be injected into the source code of legal software. When one device is affected, it will start multiplying through sharing of data. Kaspersky has further commented that Apple's lack of zeal to undertake any protective measures could result in the iPhone fall behind in terms of popularity, in the market.
As reported, Macs have already been victims of malware due to Java vulnerability. This has sparked a debate within the Apple community as to whether the IOS devices like the iPhone and IPad need anti-malware for protection. There has been many speculations and arguments over this. In 2008, a Trojan horse for iPhone was discovered. It was more a warning than an actual threat. This horse had popped up on the device as a firmware update. However, no damage was reported after installation. Besides, the Trojan horse only targeted €jailbroken' phones, i.e., the phones that allowed installation of third party applications.
Is antivirus a necessity for iPhone?
As for now, the question lies in whether malware can infect non-jail broken iPhones or not. According to security researchers, iPhones could be the new target of cybercriminals more so because iOS users have been convinced into assuming that their device is far more secured than any other phone in the market. As per the critics, iOS platform is an insignificant target of malware and so home users would not require antivirus software.
Home users only need to ensure that their IPhone is not stolen or misplaced. Moreover, data loss can be avoided by securing the device with a passcode and installing Apple's €Find My iPhone'. This would also allow users to recover data from their stolen phone. On the other hand, things are not the same for business users. Given the complexity of iOS restricting malware threat, mass attack against iPhone users is a rare possibility. Nevertheless, a pre-planned attack targeted towards a specific body like a corporation or government agency, cannot be ruled out. In such circumstances, an app or jail-broken iOS device could be used to invade a network and spy on communications.
It is in this kind of a scenario, that an antimalware or endpoint security app would be handy. Endpoint security refers to a concept that assumes that every device is responsible for its own security. Having an iPhone without end point security would mean putting the entire network at risk.
According to Kaspersky, downloading of compromising legal software in the iPhone is the primary cause of malware attack. A malware that does not use vulnerabilities is almost impossible to develop. It has to be injected into the source code of legal software. When one device is affected, it will start multiplying through sharing of data. Kaspersky has further commented that Apple's lack of zeal to undertake any protective measures could result in the iPhone fall behind in terms of popularity, in the market.
