Mobile Virus Threat Still Miniscule

McAfee is the latest vendor to throw fuel on the fire of the mobile virus threat, but so far the problem is a long way from being a burning issue. The McAfee Mobile Security Report 2007, which focuses on mobile operators, shows that five operators reported incidents affecting 100,001 to 1 million devices in 2006.

Alarming? Maybe, but the study also shows that approximately three times that number of operators reported no devices affected at all, so it's hard to get worked into a frenzy. One should also note that the report was released 11 days after the launch of a new McAfee security solution for--wait for it--mobile operators.

Mobile malware is real and should be addressed, but the problem pales in comparison to other technology threats. --Andrew Conry-Murray, [email protected]