The need to defend networked electronic gear like PDAs and smart phones will drive anti-virus defenses away from the signature-based techniques of today and toward next-generation behavioral-based tactics. "The need for security is expanding beyond the PC," wrote Jonathan Singer, an analyst with the Yankee Group, in an e-mail to TechWeb. "Mobile devices such as smart phones and PDAs, which are often used for business purposes without security integration, are opening new avenues for malicious code," he added.
Early efforts by hacker to engage these devices were relegated to using them as entry points for viruses and worms delivered via e-mail, but as networked handhelds proliferate, tactics have changed. Hackers now target the device itself rather than use it as a gateway to the network, said Singer. As other devices become networked--such as printers and copiers--and as voice over IP (VoIP) hardware grows in popularity, they"ll be targeted too, or used to launch additional attacks. "Look for these types of attacks to become pervasive in the next 12 to 24 months," Singer said.