Transcript
IOS GUARD
SOFTWARE SECURITY
B E
Peter James, Spokesperson for Intego
WHY IPHONES AND IPADS NEED PROTECTION Apple's iOS - the operating system that runs the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch - is exceptionally secure. While Android users have to fear for malware getting onto their smartphones, iOS has not seen any malware yet. Part of this is due to the underlying manner in which the operating system is built - security experts talk about such things as "sandboxing," "code signing," and so on. But while these devices are unlikely to be infected, they do have risks. Users of iOS devices may download or forward infected files to friends or co-workers, leading to the "typhoid Mary" syndrome, where a healthy person passes on a disease to others. Since the advent of the iPhone, businesses have been worried about the possibility of infected files entering their networks via unprotected devices.
Intego, the leader in Mac security, whose VirusBarrier X6 is the most powerful tool for protecting Macs from the dangers of the Internet, was approached by many professionals who were seeking a way to protect these devices. Due to the way Apple has built iOS, it's not possible to install a standard antivirus program. On Macs or Windows PCs, these programs scan every file on the computer, and run in the background, checking every file that is read, written or saved. However, because of "sandboxing," which limits the access any program has to files on the device, no program can scan all of the files on an iPhone or iPad. In addition, software cannot run in the background, to provide real-time scanning of files downloaded or received by e-mail.
These limitations led Intego, the exclusive Apple security company, to develop VirusBarrier iOS, which is an on-demand scanner. VirusBarrier iOS lets users easily scan e-mail attachments, other files they have access to on their iOS device, or files on remote locations such as MobileMe and DropBox, web servers or WebDAV shares. VirusBarrier iOS uses Intego's award-winning VirusBarrier X6 scanning technology to detect and eradicate all known malware affecting Windows or Macs: viruses, worms, Trojan horses, fake antiviruses, and other types of malware that might otherwise pass through undetected. When someone receives an e-mail containing an attachment, it's a simple procedure to scan that file with VirusBarrier iOS. Just tap and hold the link for the file, and choose Open in "VirusBarrier" from the menu that displays. VirusBarrier iOS will scan the file for malware that can affect both Windows PCs and Macs. Users can also do the same for files downloaded from the Safari web browser. And they can scan remote locations in the cloud where files may be stored. For example, many people use Dropbox to share files with friends and colleagues. VirusBarrier iOS can scan any file that has been added to a Dropbox folder, to ensure that it's safe. VirusBarrier iOS can also scan web sites or MobileMe iDisks.
“Whether you use an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you need to be aware that these devices can pass on files that can harm your computers at home or at work.”
Whether you use an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you need to be aware that these devices can pass on files that can harm your computers at home or at work. A little bit of protection can save you from having big problems if malware gets through your defenses. VirusBarrier iOS gives businesses peace of mind, ensuring that iOS devices don't present any kind of danger to their networks.
www.intego.com
LIFESTYLE
Since it's important to be up-to-date with the latest malware definitions to thwart cyber-criminals, VirusBarrier iOS checks for updates to these definitions - the files that tell the program the unique characteristics of malware - each time it's launched. Intego updates these malware definitions at least twice a week, and VirusBarrier iOS includes a one-year subscription to these updates.
