For more than a year, Google has been touting its mobile phone operating system known as Android and how it would open up the platform to developers around the world, interested in developing Android applications. Two weeks ago, T-Mobile began selling its G1 handset, the world's first Android based cell phone.
Now, millions of T-Mobile customers hold in their hands one of the smartest and most flexible mobile phones ever created. To help protect these users from the attack and proliferation of mobile viruses, spyware and other malware, SMobile Systems has released its SMobile VirusGuard for phones with Android.
VirusGuard is the first commercially available mobile security solution specifically developed to protect devices utilizing the Google Android operating system. Using the knowledge gained by developing antivirus andsecurity applications for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm and iPhone, SMobile engineers began development of VirusGuard for Android more than a year ago.
SMobile VirusGuard for Android will allow users to scan their devices and memory cards for over 400 known instances and variants of mobile Malware. These viruses, worms and trojans can infect and cross-over between mobile devices via the memory card. New Malware can infect devices via the web-browser, memory card and the installation of malicious opensource applications. As Android Malware grows, VirusGuard for Android users can rely on SMobile to detect new viruses, trojans and worms and to provide users with timely virus signature updates.
"Android's open-source architecture is fantastic because it allows anyone to develop new applications for the phones running on this system. For SMobile, we believe that creating a virus protection solution is necessary to help thwart the potential for malware attacks that are coming and those that exist today," said Neil Book, president, SMobile Systems. "It is our mission to keep users informed of threats we detect and to protect consumer and business users from the very real dangers that await a potentially exploitable device like the new G1."
In the coming weeks and months, SMobile plans to adapt the remainder of the SecurityShield suite to offer firewall, anti-spam and lock, wipe and backup for the Android platform. SMobile will also be able to offer parental controls that will allow parents to closely monitor their child's cell phone voice and messaging activities to ensure they are safe.
"Days after the release of Android, the first exploit became public," said Daniel V. Hoffman, chief technology officer, SMobile Systems. "VirusGuard allows users to react quickly to new Malware-related threatsand to protect their devices without having to wait days or weeks for an operating system update."
Currently, VirusGuard for Android is available to consumers at http://www.smobilesystems.com and http://www.handango.com . In early Q1/09, G1 users canvisit the Android Market Place to purchase and download VirusGuard for Android. For questions regarding enterprise licenses, please contact Kevin Thomas at sales@smobilesystems.com.
About SMobile
SMobile, Inc. has created the first and only complete line of products and services that securely protect mobile phones and the global wireless infrastructure from hackers, viruses, data compromise, unauthorized data theft and the effects of lost or stolen devices. The company's security applications include virus and malware detection, text message and data filtering, prevention of unwanted messages from interrupting the user, spam blocking,enterprise management, protection for mobile professionals from harmful data on open networks and data security and password-protection for content and files. |
