There are even viruses for tablets and smart phones. The four most popular small-form-factor programming environments are Android, Windows CE, Java, and Symbian. These platforms are being used in smart phones, as well as tablets and viruses have been written for each of them.
More recently, mobile devices running on Android and Apple’s iOS have experienced complex and interesting infections. This is not surprising really, considering that they are really full fledged mini computers. According to McAfee, the Android OS has become the biggest target for mobile malware, with Trojans, spyware, SMS spamming & malware infecting mobile smart phones and tablets.
Is Mobile viruses is a serious problem in the next few years?
Tablets and smart phones have all the right components for a fast-spreading malware program. They have network connectivity, e-mail, a contact address book, and both allow additional programs and features to be added. Combining those features with wireless technology means mobile viruses will probably be a serious problem in the next few years. It is not unrealistic to think that in the near future computer viruses will be jumping from device to device using the multitude of open wireless transmission points that are available everywhere.
Types of Viruses for Tablets and Smart phones
Worms
A computer worm uses its own coding to replicate, although it may rely on the existence of other related code to do so. The key to a worm is that it does not directly modify other host code to replicate. A worm may travel the Internet trying one or more exploits to compromise a computer, and if successful, it then writes itself to the computer and begins replicating again.
E-Mail Worms
E-mail worms are a curious intersection of social engineering and automation. They appear in people’s inboxes as messages and file attachments from friends, strangers, and companies. They pose as pornography, cute games, official patches from Microsoft, or unofficial applications found in the digital marketplace. There cannot be a computer user in the world who has not been warned multiple times against opening unexpected e-mail attachments, but often the attachments are simply irresistible. Internet e-mail worms are very popular with attackers because they can be very hard to track.
Trojans
Trojans, work by posing as legitimate programs that are activated by an unsuspecting user. After execution, the Trojan may attempt to continue to pose as the other legitimate program (such as a screensaver) while doing its malicious actions in the background. Many people are infected by Trojans for months and years without realizing it. If the
Remote Access Trojans (RAT)
A powerful type of Trojan program called a remote access Trojan (RAT) is very popular in today’s attacker circles. Once installed, a RAT becomes a back door into the compromised system and allows the remote attackers to do virtually anything they want to the compromised PC. RATs can delete and damage files, download data, manipulate the PC’s input and output devices, and record keystroke’s screenshots. Keystroke- and screen-capturing allows the attacker to track what the user is doing, including entry of passwords and other sensitive information. If the compromised user visits their bank’s web site, the attacker can record their login information. Unlike regular viruses and worms, the damage resulting from a RAT compromise can be felt long after the RAT is eradicated. RATs have even been known to record video and audio from the host computer’s web camera and microphone. Imagine malware that is capable of recording every conversation made near the PC. Surely confidential business meetings have been recorded..
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