iPhones more vulnerable?

iPhones may be more susceptible to Internet-related threats, a recent Trend Micro survey suggests. The study is based on 1,000 smartphone users 18 years or older, and seeks to shed light on public beliefs about smartphone security. According to the survey, when compared with other smartphone users, iPhone owners generally use their phone's web browser more, and spend more time shopping online, visiting media-sharing websites, and sending and receiving larger quantities of e-mail, which can often involve URLs they click on. Malicious hackers and scammers may be drawn to the iPhone due to this fact, says Trend Micro.

The survey adds that 44 percent of respondents think using the Internet on their phone is as safe, if not safer than doing the same on their PC. The report suggests that only 23 percent of smartphone owners utilize security software readily available to them, and that one out of five respondents do not believe installing additional software would help. Of all the users surveyed, 20 percent have encountered phishing scams, which are designed to lure victims into supplying identification, financial information, and/or names and passwords, typically through replies to e-mail messages.

Various security flaws have surfaced in iPhone 3.0 firmware recently, such as SMS vulnerabilities and issues with Mail.

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, industry, security, e-mail, mobile phones