High-end mobiles: Easy meal for virus!

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Virus and worms are not restricted to computers anymore. Welcome to the era of mobile phone virus! If you are the proud owner of a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone, chances are that your handset may get hit by a virus. <br /><br />The world''s first mobile phone virus, Cabir, which originated in the Philippines last year, has reportedly spread to more than 12 countries across the globe. In cases reported in these countries, an infected phone has typically been carried by the user to another country. <br /><br />With the community of Bluetooth cellphones and other high-end handset users expanding fast in India, the possibilities of such virus infection is also becoming more real. <br /><br />"Though the virus hasn''t yet been reported to hit Kolkata or the rest of the country, with teledensity building up and the number of Bluetooth phone users rising, it could make an impact in the high-end cellphone user community. As Internet telebanking becomes popular, chances of the virus getting transmitted may rise," said Mandar Bhide, a senior official of the Kolkata arm of the largest mobile manufacturer worldwide. <br /><br />The virus, found in 15 variations till now, drains the phone''s battery, destroy data files and make the phone go blank for a while. The malicious software has even crumbled handsets under denial-of-service attacks, in which the device gets so much inbound traffic it can''t function properly. <br /><br />According to Kunal Ramteke, chief marketing officer of a leading mobile service provider, "The transmission of the virus takes places between two phones and not two networks. Even if the phone is switched off, it can be transmitted unless you have an in-built protection mechanism." So, which user group would be the target in India? Ramteke added, "Most youngsters opt for Bluetooth phones and they would be likely hit here. If the phone is in the ''accept mode'' and the virus is in physical proximity of another phone, then it could transmit in the form of unmonitored data." <br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">madhurima.nandy@timesgroup.com</span></div> </div>