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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Banshee16" data-source="post: 5617596" data-attributes="member: 7883">That's all I'm saying.And I'm not saying that Apple products are the only ones needing protection.  The difference (that I see) is that it seems like Apple doesn't really encourage security awareness.  I've read articles that Apple has actually denied there being problems, when meanwhile customers were getting hit by an exploit.RiM at the very least includes firewall software, and has built their reputation on the security measures they put in place in their devices.I *did* find this article, listing open ports used by Apple devices (including iPhone 4).<a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1629" target="_blank">Well known TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products</a>Seems like a lot more than 1 open port.....though I'm not a networking expert, and I don't know if all of those are used by iOS 4, or just one or two of them.I'll try to find that other article.  It was a conjecture piece by a consultant talking about security concerns regarding the newer generations of smartphones.  It wasn't pointing out (that I remember) a specific threat active in the wild.  So maybe it was a fluff piece.  I don't know.  I *do* know that most of the guys that I know in network security *have* expressed similar concerns with the security (or lack thereof) in mobile devices (and WiFi, period).I think what becomes more of a concern is when you start seeing reports of potentially government-sponsored hacking and such, and the appearance of things like Stuxnet, which, from my understanding depended on a component that could infect things like thumbdrives, and then move from those thumb drives to the computers *inside* a nuclear installation, when inserted into computers inside the facility (since those computers weren't actually connected to the internet, due to security), one has to wonder if eventually smartphones could be used to perpetrate a really bad attack or infection somewhere.....virus infects server, is downloaded to smartphone, smartphone connects to network inside a secure facility (or is docked to a PC or whatever), and then passes the infection along.  I think that's the kind of nightmare scenario they're talking about.The article referenced the idea that the more powerful processors, and greater memory on the newer devices could theoretically give one of these devices enough power that you could have a scenario where (for instance), a guy with an infected phone goes to a Starbucks for a coffee.  He has WiFi on.  He connects to Starbucks (since the same login credentials seem to be used at all locations), and his phone then infects the router, and/or infects the mobile devices of all other users connected to that hotspot at the time.  They then go their separate ways, infect their own home networks, infect other Starbucks locations, etc. etc. etc.It was an article about a year ago.  Might be a little tricky to find, but I'll see what I can do.Could a phone be used, theoretically, to launch DOS attacks, for instance?  Do they have enough computer power?If they have a lower level of security than an AV protected, firewalled, router-protected PC, and they become more prevalent, then you've effectively got a rapidly growing population of devices with increasing computer power, but little security.  Seems to me, it would be a hacker's paradise.Banshee</blockquote>

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