17 Feb 2007
Dubai: Operators are reporting more incidents of phone hacking, known as malware attacks, than ever before, according to a new study by Informa Telecoms & Media (ITM).
The research found that nearly half of the operators who have experienced malware outbreaks have had one within the last three months. Twice as many mobile operators spent over $200,000 on mobile security in 2006, compared to 2005.
The ITM study, sponsored by McAfee, examined in mobile operators' past experiences, current attitudes and future plans with regards to mobile security.
Feeling the impact
The research reveals that mobile operators are already feeling the impact of mobile threats on customer satisfaction and network performance. They are increasingly concerned about the potential impact on their brand and the success of new revenue-generating services.
In line with the growing importance of mobile security to service providers, 85 per cent plan to increase their mobile security budgets to tackle issues including network intrusion, mobile viruses, denial-of-service attacks, spam and mobile phishing (SMiShing).
"This research clearly demonstrates that mobile security is moving quickly up the industry agenda with the number of malware incidents rising and more time and money being dedicated to resolving mobile security issues," said Patrick Hayati, Regional Director, McAfee Middle East.
By Naushad K. Cherrayil
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
