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Don't Be Put Off By Symbian Malware Author: Tarek Abu-Esber Wednesday, 26 January 2005, 20:58 GMT Symbian Mobile users and people who are thinking about buying a Symbian powered mobile phone shouldn't let the reports of Trojans and Viruses worry them. If you follow two simple rules it is basically impossible to be infected with any of the Symbian malware that is out there today. Do Not install pirated software on your mobile. Only install software from reliable resources like All About Symbian or Handango. Do Not accept any messages sent over Bluetooth from somebody you don't know or if you are not expecting to receive one. If you follow these rules it is virtually impossible for your phone to become infected with a Trojan or a Virus. All of the Symbian Malware files have to be accepted by you before they can be installed unlike some computer viruses which install without your knowledge. There is no such thing as a Symbian Virus or Torjans that can hack into your phone without you knowing. If you get a message saying someone is trying to send you a file over Bluetooth and you are not expecting to receive one (or it is not from someone you know) do not accept it. Even if you do accidentally accept the message you can still stop the infection by not letting it install (it will always ask you if you want to go ahead with the installation). For those who don't use Bluetooth often you might even want to keep your phones visibility on "hidden". As for pirated software and other warez, be very careful. Symbian malware thrives in the Warez Scene. Websites and message boards that post pirated software are the real reason these Trojans and Viruses spread. It is very easy for anyone posting to these pages to rename a Trojan like Gavno to make it sound like a piece of popular software. In fact this method has been used with the Lasco virus which masqueraded as a Macromedia Flash player for Symbian phones. Even though it is hard to get infected with malware, some of these Viruses and Trojans are capable of doing some damage. Symbian malware usually falls into two camps. There's the annoying malware (Such as Cabir) which will drain your battery or try and send premium rate messages but will do no real damage to the phone itself. Then you have the more malicious malware which can disable programs (such as Metal Gear and Lasco) or even disable the phone itself (Like Gavno). Needless to say it is undesirable to contract any of these files. As a safety precaution, especially if you are the type who is curious or uses pirated software, you might consider investing in some anti-virus software for your mobile. Anti-Virus sotware can easily  detect and remove all the current Symbian malware and can also detect if infected files are trying to be installed and stop them. But at the end of the day if you use your common sense and follow the rules you will have nothing to worry about at all.

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