iPhone and Petential Viruses
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 380
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From: America's 51st State
iPhone and Petential Viruses
Hi,
I have just purchased an iphone and see I can obtain my e-mails with it. On that basis I was wondering whether there is a threat of viruses, or whether anti-virus software is available or required for these devices when accessing e-mails?
Any advice welcome please.
VH-MLE
I have just purchased an iphone and see I can obtain my e-mails with it. On that basis I was wondering whether there is a threat of viruses, or whether anti-virus software is available or required for these devices when accessing e-mails?
Any advice welcome please.
VH-MLE
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,663
Likes: 0
From: Earth
Don't quote me on it, but .....
It depends whether you've "jail broken" your iPhone or not.
As far as I am aware, it should theoretically only be possible to write viruses targetting jail broken iPhones. "Jail Broken" iPhones can only run things which are available through the iTunes App Store and therefore (one would hope) are reasonably well vetted by Apple for hidden nasties.
Never say never, as they say... but that's my 2 <insert currency> worth.
See also here from Sophos, the well respected anti-virus people... Do I need anti-virus for my iPhone? | SophosLabs blog
It depends whether you've "jail broken" your iPhone or not.
As far as I am aware, it should theoretically only be possible to write viruses targetting jail broken iPhones. "Jail Broken" iPhones can only run things which are available through the iTunes App Store and therefore (one would hope) are reasonably well vetted by Apple for hidden nasties.
Never say never, as they say... but that's my 2 <insert currency> worth.
See also here from Sophos, the well respected anti-virus people... Do I need anti-virus for my iPhone? | SophosLabs blog
Last edited by mixture; 17th July 2010 at 10:09.
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,443
Likes: 1
From: Cambridge, England, EU
No, no problem at all.
That's 'cos it's an iPhone, it's made by Apple, it's not Windows, it's not made by Microsoft, so according to the fanbois there's a law of nature that says it can't have viruses.
So ... depends on whether you're an adherent of the anti-Microsoft religion, or whether you believe the science, which says that as it's a computer it can run code, and sooner or later someone will be bothered to write malicious code for it once they've worked out how to turn a profit.
That's 'cos it's an iPhone, it's made by Apple, it's not Windows, it's not made by Microsoft, so according to the fanbois there's a law of nature that says it can't have viruses.
So ... depends on whether you're an adherent of the anti-Microsoft religion, or whether you believe the science, which says that as it's a computer it can run code, and sooner or later someone will be bothered to write malicious code for it once they've worked out how to turn a profit.
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,018
Likes: 73
From: Pewsey, UK
It will happen at some point, but the whole iPhone closed system thing means that applications can only run in a very small playground.
Jailbreaking - and not changing the default login password which results - can add risk, so do the research.
If you read emails on the phone, and click links in them, then you're subject to phishing / spam in the same way as on a laptop.
As as for iTunes being "vetted", well yes - but see Apple Inc. iTunes Store Hacked, Vietnamese Developer Banned (AAPL) | Comtex SmarTrend for a little bit more detail.
Jailbreaking - and not changing the default login password which results - can add risk, so do the research.
If you read emails on the phone, and click links in them, then you're subject to phishing / spam in the same way as on a laptop.
As as for iTunes being "vetted", well yes - but see Apple Inc. iTunes Store Hacked, Vietnamese Developer Banned (AAPL) | Comtex SmarTrend for a little bit more detail.
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 0
From: Tracey Island
Don't quote me on it, but .....
It depends whether you've "unlocked" your iPhone or not.
As far as I am aware, it should theoretically only be possible to write viruses targetting unlocked iPhones. "Locked" iPhones can only run things which are available through the iTunes App Store and therefore (one would hope) are reasonably well vetted by Apple for hidden nasties.
Never say never, as they say... but that's my 2 <insert currency> worth.
See also here from Sophos, the well respected anti-virus people... Do I need anti-virus for my iPhone? | SophosLabs blog
It depends whether you've "unlocked" your iPhone or not.
As far as I am aware, it should theoretically only be possible to write viruses targetting unlocked iPhones. "Locked" iPhones can only run things which are available through the iTunes App Store and therefore (one would hope) are reasonably well vetted by Apple for hidden nasties.
Never say never, as they say... but that's my 2 <insert currency> worth.
See also here from Sophos, the well respected anti-virus people... Do I need anti-virus for my iPhone? | SophosLabs blog
I would just enjoy the phone and ditch the paranoia.....
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,663
Likes: 0
From: Earth
call100,
Did it not occur to you that I was referring to jail broken phones ??? I would have thought it was fairly obvious given the context of my post AND the fact I had provided a link to the Sophos website to support what I was saying.
Sorry I'm not up to scratch on the cool kids terminology....
P.S. Have now gone back and changed the terminology.... happy now ?
sigh.... 
Did it not occur to you that I was referring to jail broken phones ??? I would have thought it was fairly obvious given the context of my post AND the fact I had provided a link to the Sophos website to support what I was saying.
Sorry I'm not up to scratch on the cool kids terminology....
P.S. Have now gone back and changed the terminology.... happy now ?
That's 'cos it's an iPhone, it's made by Apple, it's not Windows, it's not made by Microsoft, so according to the fanbois there's a law of nature that says it can't have viruses.
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 0
From: Tracey Island
call100,
Did it not occur to you that I was referring to jail broken phones ??? I would have thought it was fairly obvious given the context of my post AND the fact I had provided a link to the Sophos website to support what I was saying.
Sorry I'm not up to scratch on the cool kids terminology....
P.S. Have now gone back and changed the terminology.... happy now ?
sigh....
Did it not occur to you that I was referring to jail broken phones ??? I would have thought it was fairly obvious given the context of my post AND the fact I had provided a link to the Sophos website to support what I was saying.
Sorry I'm not up to scratch on the cool kids terminology....
P.S. Have now gone back and changed the terminology.... happy now ?
sigh....
I wasn't trying to upset you. It's obvious the OP is a novice with the iPhone and in the interests of clarity for him I felt it needed some correction.
As long as it's all sorted now...No hard feelings eh?
