Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 For Symbian Protects Smartphones From Viruses, Hackers, and Other Malicious Threats
CUPERTINO, Calif. – May 9, 2005 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the global leader in information security, today announced Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian. As the only security solution for Symbian OS(tm) mobile devices to provide integrated antivirus and firewall technologies, Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian protects Symbian OS-based Series 60 and Series 80 smartphones, such as the Nokia 9300 and 9500 enterprise devices, from network intrusions as well as from viruses, Trojan horses, and worms.
“To ensure that individuals and businesses are protected in an increasingly wireless environment, Symantec is delivering targeted solutions to address the emerging virus and security threats brought by pervasive mobile communications,” said Sarah Hicks, vice president, Strategic Opportunities, at Symantec. “Through solutions such as Symantec Mobile Security for Symbian, Symantec is helping ensure that consumers and enterprises have the most effective and prudent tools for thwarting the growing number of wireless attacks.”
Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian is available as a two-year downloadable service for users of select Nokia and Panasonic smartphones. In addition, a free 60-day trial version of Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian is available for download from the Symantec website.
“Symbian OS powers the world’s most popular smartphones with over 25 million Symbian OS-based phones shipped to date and over 40 Symbian OS phone models currently shipping to over 200 mobile carriers worldwide,” said Jerry Panagrossi, vice president of US operations, Symbian. “Symbian takes mobile security issues very seriously and continuously evolves Symbian OS to further enhance the security integrity of networks, handsets, and users’ data. Symbian’s partnership with Symantec and other leading mobile security solution providers ensures the availability of a range of security solutions that complement Symbian OS’s integrated security model. Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian, combined with the Symantec LiveUpdate Wireless service, provides a robust end-to-end security solution available to both consumers and enterprises.”
Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian offers protection from the security concerns surrounding today’s evolving wireless computing environment. Smartphones are increasingly being used in much the same way as notebook computers, putting these devices at risk of threats that are similar to their mobile PC counterparts. According to a recent survey conducted for Symantec by InsightExpress, smartphone owners use their wireless devices not only for entertainment but also for emailing, instant messaging, browsing the Web, and downloading and sharing files over the Internet as well as for checking financial accounts. The survey found that 54 percent of smartphone owners use their devices to send and receive emails that include confidential personal data; more than 40 percent access bank accounts using their smartphones; and nearly one third of respondents access credit card accounts. The majority of smartphone users (55.7 percent) also store confidential personal, business, or client data on their devices.
At the same time, threats to wireless devices are increasing. According to the March 2005 bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report issued by Symantec, the first worm to target smartphones, Cabir, was released in June 2004. By the end of December 2004, 11 new variants of Cabir were reported, and in February 2005 Cabir surfaced for the first time in the United States in the wild. Other threats to smartphones also have been reported over the last nine months, including several Trojan horses-e.g., Mos, Skulls, and CommWarrior.
From the moment it is installed, Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian provides integrated antivirus and firewall capabilities for select Series 60 and Nokia 9300 and 9500 smartphones. This solution delivers proactive protection against all Symbian file-based forms of malicious threats, such as viruses, Trojan horses, and worms. Real-time automatic and on-demand virus scan capabilities protect files that are stored on the smartphone, while the firewall intercepts both incoming and outgoing connection attempts and blocks or permits them based on a list of rules. To ensure that devices are protected against new threats, LiveUpdate Wireless allows users to download the latest virus protection updates when the device has access to a wireless Internet connection.
In an enterprise environment, Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian offers administrators and end users simple and flexible management control. Configurable client settings can be set by an administrator and pushed over the air in a configuration file to the smartphone via third-party mobile device management systems. All client security components are updated using LiveUpdate Wireless technology over HTTP connections to a Symantec LiveUpdate server or a company-hosted server. Administrators can locally or remotely configure, lock, and enforce security policies for devices and can send SMS messages to the devices to trigger client applications to perform remote antivirus scans and updates.
Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian is backed by Symantec Security Response, a team of dedicated intrusion experts, security engineers, virus hunters, and global technical support teams that work in tandem to provide extensive coverage for enterprise businesses and consumers. Symantec Security Response provides customers with comprehensive, global, 24×7 Internet security expertise to guard against today’s complex Internet threats.
Pricing and Availability
Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian is available as a two-year downloadable service to consumers from www.symantecstore.com/symbian. The estimated retail price for the service is US$44.95.
Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian is also available as a license to enterprise customers. To obtain licensing information or to locate a reseller, visit http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com on the World Wide Web.
About Symantec
Symantec is the global leader in information security providing a broad range of software, appliances, and services designed to help individuals, small and mid-sized businesses, and large enterprises secure and manage their IT infrastructure. Symantec’s Norton brand of products is the worldwide leader in consumer security and problem-solving solutions. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 35 countries. More information is available at http://www.symantec.com.