Allan Rasmussen @ May 27th 2006 5:57AM

Yes it is “bull”

Let’s take a look at reality here.
So far no virus has been recorded that will spread to all mobile systems
Why? Because it is almost impossible due to the nature of the differences in systems used on mobile phones (J2ME, Symbian, Brew, Linux and windows).

The few viruses that we have seen has been aimed at few mostly Nokia Symbian phones and only because users would agree to install them. They don’t install themselves.

So if you get a SMS or program in Russian on your mobile, common sense will say don’t install.
The mobile phone will even ask you: This program needs to connect to the network – Allow yes or no.

The viruses we have seen have done this, sending MMS to other users from the contact list on the mobile phone. But died quickly when being send to lets say a Samsung phone not running any Symbian software.

So users with the virus have seen money wasted because the virus would connect to the network either GSM or GPRS and thereby costing airtime.

If you look at how the bullguard works it also say it updates regularly…
That means the program does the exact same thing it open and uses a network connection costing the user money when downloading new packages.

And what does it upload? What kind of info does it send?
It has to send some info like handset info, mobile number, and operator.

Now that sounds more like spyware.

But let’s do the same stuff they do at bullguard a “What if”

Let’s say I have installed the bullguard on my phone.
Some really clever guy will design a virus and send to my phone.
He will have to upload the virus somewhere.
If he wants to send it via SMS he will need a SMS provider, he wont do that because then it will be to easy to track him.
The same goes with MMS. Leaving WAP or download via opera mini (same thing)
I would then myself have to agree to go to the WAP/web site and download to my phone…and then I would again have to agree to let the program install on my phone…and then again agree to open the program myself.

So lets say this virus would then copy my contact list, easy access to that and it would then send itself to others who would also have to be huge clowns to agree to all the above.

But what will my bullguard program do about it?
Nothing for the first couple of days because it doesn’t know the new virus so the team behind bullguard would have to develop a package to deal with the virus and then send the update to users mobile phones…no matter what it will be to late for those who have already downloaded at opened the virus program.

So yes it is bull….