SmartTrust and F-Secure to manage the threat of mobile viruses

Sep 19, 2005: SmartManage Protect(TM) allows mobile operators to manage handset’s antivirus software over-the-air

Mobile device management specialist SmartTrust, and F Secure, a market leader in mobile content security solutions, have signed a partnership that will give mobile operators better control over the management of anti-virus software amongst their subscribers.

The agreement forms part of SmartTrust’s recently launched SmartManage Protect(TM) solution, a mobile security management platform that allows operators to manage antivirus clients on subscriber handsets over-the-air (OTA). Mobile operators will be able to automatically detect vulnerable handsets on their network and deliver F-Secure Mobile Anti-Virus software for remote installation. SmartManage Protect will then be able to deliver regular updates and even be able to transfer antivirus subscriptions between handsets, as subscribers upgrade, to ensure continuous protection. A number of viruses have emerged for mobile handsets and it is possible to create malicious code that makes these devices unusable. A malware incident may result in increased customer support traffic, terminal downtime, a negative customer experience, and slow service adoption.

"Mobile operators have a key role in providing mobile antivirus services to smartphone users. Distribution of the antivirus clients and management of the update service subscriptions are important parts of the service. By combining our expertise in mobile antivirus solutions with SmartTrust’s Mobile Device Management capabilities, we can offer operators a complete package for the continuous management of subscribers," says Antti Vihavainen, Vice President, Mobile Security, of F-Secure.

"As consumers, we are being told that our mobile phones can be used to download music, games, movies and many other types of content. To leverage the revenue potential of these new mobile applications mobile operators will need to ensure their customers feel confident when downloading. Should an operator’s customers experience data loss, the damage to the operator's brand could be substantial," explains Paul Cuss, CEO of SmartTrust.

"There is little doubt about the potential threat of mobile viruses, particularly to those subscribers with advanced handsets," continues Cuss. "Virus writers will look to replicate the harm caused in the desktop environment with mobile consumers facing the possibility of lost data, rogue dial-up connections and even the complete corruption of equipment. Unfortunately, as the technology becomes more sophisticated, so the threat of viruses increases."

Since the first mobile virus was identified in 2004, the advancement of mobile technologies has opened the door to virus writers. Multimedia messaging services, e-mail and Internet connections, Bluetooth and even removable storage media all represent possible points of entry and distribution for mobile viruses.

The SmartManage Protect solution is part of the SmartManage(TM) portfolio of mobile device management technologies. SmartManage is already in use across more than 30 mobile networks around the world, delivering initial device detection and configuration through to the continued support and delivery of new features to handsets over-the-air. Today's announcement adds mobile user and handset protection to the solution’s portfolio of features.

F-Secure Mobile Anti-Virus is the most comprehensive solution available for protecting smartphones against harmful content, from malicious applications and messages. It provides real-time, on-device protection and automatic over-the-air antivirus updates. While the solution is currently available for Symbian OS devices, the same service will also be available for Windows Mobile devices during the second half of the year.

About SmartTrust

With a customer portfolio that includes many of the world’s largest mobile operators, SmartTrust’s technology covers a global footprint comprising over a quarter of the world’s GSM users. For more than a decade, SmartTrust has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to understand the technical and business challenges within today’s mobile markets. The company’s SmartCore(TM) environment allows mobile operators to build comprehensive solutions that meet their particular business requirements. These solutions are implemented over a single highly integrated platform thus interworking with each other to deliver seamless functionality and services to the subscribers. Increase ARPU through dynamic roaming management (SmartRoam(TM)), increase subscriber satisfaction through automated device detection and configuration (SmartManage(TM)), and increase data ARPU by providing remote configuration of device menus for easy assess to services (SmartàLaCarte(TM)). More than 100 SmartTrust systems have been commercially deployed with leading mobile operators around the world. Customers include Vodafone UK, Vodafone Egypt, Vodafone Germany, Telenor, Sonofon, Cosmote, MTN, T-Mobile, Cingular Wireless, Claro, Bharti Airtel, Cellular, SMART Communications, M1 and Indosat. The company is headquartered in Sweden with a regional presence in Finland, UK Germany, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, India, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil and the United States. SmartTrust is privately held and its investors include The Carlyle Group, Eqvitec Partners, GE Equity and TeliaSonera. Additional information and news on SmartTrust can be found at http://www.smarttrust.com.

About F-Secure

F-Secure Corporation is the fastest growing publicly listed company globally in the antivirus and intrusion prevention industry with more than 50% revenue growth in 2004. F-Secure services and software protect individuals and businesses against computer viruses and other threats coming through the Internet or mobile networks. Our award-winning solutions include antivirus and desktop firewall with intrusion prevention, antispam and antispyware solutions. Our key strength is our proven speed of response to new threats. Mobile security has been a focus area of F-Secure for years. The company today has content security solutions available for both mobile terminals and mobile infrastructure. F Secure Mobile Anti-Virus is the world’s first mobile operator antivirus service. F Secure Mobile Anti-Virus is also available to phone users through mobile phone manufacturers, F-Secure eStore and selected retail channels. Founded in 1988, F-Secure has been listed on the Helsinki Exchanges since 1999. We have our headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and offices in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Japan.

For more information, please contact:

Tim De Luca Smith
Communications Manager, SmartTrust
Tel: +44 (0) 7957 311 189
tim.deluca-smith@smarttrust.com

Matias Impivaara
Director, Mobile Security Services
F-Secure Corporation
Tel: +358 40 723 6677
matias.impivaara@f-secure.com