Symbian phones, which are popular in Europe, are affected by mobile malware most often, but threats on the Microsoft platform are increasing as well, says Carter. That includes Microsoft's recently launched Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. "If you have an operating system or applications with known vulnerabilities, then you're exposed as soon as you're using T-Mobile from a Starbucks," says Quandt.
While security threats to mobile devices are in the early stages of their evolution, they're sure to become a bigger problem as the devices proliferate, as wireless data network speeds increase so people can download files faster on their devices, and as mobile hackers become more sophisticated, says Todd Thiemann, director of device security marketing at Trend Micro, a network anti-virus and Internet content security software company that also sells mobile security software.
Other mobile security vendors, including F-Secure and Symantec, have similar offerings on the market. The consensus among the vendors is that malware is growing faster on smart phones and PDAs than on desktop and laptop computers because they're constantly connected, in similar fashion to an unsecured wireless LAN. "You already can hack into a wireless LAN. People driving around can intrude into corporate networks," says Antti Vihavainen, VP of mobile security at F-Secure, "and the same can be done with Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices waiting for a connection."
Consumers and businesspeople can purchase VirusScan Mobile from McAfee for $30. McAfee is also selling an enterprise version of the software that's available for Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PCs. Manufacturers can purchase a different version of the software and embed it into mobile devices. That means in the future more devices could come standard with anti-virus and scanning capabilities.
Verizon is demoing crowd analytics technology that uses 5G along with AI and mobile edge computing to give stadium operators insights into the flow of fans throughout a venue.
As we move closer to fully realizing the potential of Wi-Fi 7, it becomes evident that the RF, signaling, and throughput tests are not merely procedural checkpoints but the pillars of excellence in wireless communication.
With low earth orbit (LEO) satellites fast becoming the norm and 3GPP unifying telecom standards around the globe, the satellite IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) sector ought to be looking at a bright horizon. But is this the case?
