With iPhone 4 frenzy continue to last until the next couple of weeks here in Malaysia as well as other countries, do not taking  lightly about the possible threat that could harm your iPhone and it’s user. If the iPhone is meant for your kids, it’s a good idea to start thinking of securing your loves one from anything that could possibly hurt them. Fortinet FortiGuard Labs has released short but useful article that will be a basis to get started with. Read on.

Five Easy Steps to iPhone Security!

Apple’s latest shiny new iPhone 4 gadgets may have taken the world by storm but in the same vein, such mobile devices are now becoming a key target for cybercriminals and mobile spyware.

Why? Well, your trusty iPhone contains your closely guarded personal information, including photographs, contact database, possibly your credit card details, banking information, email exchanges, personal address, etc. It also connects you to tens if not hundreds of Internet applications that make your life easier. So now, imagine all this information falling into unscrupulous hands, a psychotic stalker, or becoming public information overnight!

This is exactly what a mobile spyware can do once it has entrenched itself in your iPhone. This insidious, crafty malware can secretly tap your phone calls, record and transfer SMS/MMS/e-mail messages, locate you geographically, listen to your surroundings, take pictures, downloads contacts, log activity… or steal your online banking credentials like the infamous Eeki worm did.

So, even if it has not been affected yet, do not underestimate the potential vulnerability of your iPhone. Taking care of your iPhone security is very much like taking care of your child.
Education plays an important role!

Follow these essential security tips to protect your iPhone and its data:

1. Would you let your child answer a stranger?

No. So, do not open unknown SMS or MMS on your iPhone.

2. Just before buying your child a new game, wouldn’t you check if it’s suitable for his/her age or if other parents consider it as an interesting game?

You probably try to. The same applies to your phone: gather as much information as possible before downloading an unknown application (search for comments and reviews from other users,
scan for online against viruses etc).

3. Do you inoculate your child against polio?

Then, you might consider installing an anti-virus on your mobile phone, or at least check anti-virus reports regularly.

4. Imagine a highly dangerous virus was circulating in your child’s school. Wouldn’t you keep him/her away, until any risks have disappeared?

Similarly, do not connect your iPhone to an infected computer and run anti-virus software on your PC or laptop to make sure it is malware-free before connecting your iPhone for synchronization.

5. When your child is harmed, wouldn’t you report it to some official authority (school,police, medical doctor)?

Do the same with your phone. Do not fear to report suspicious activities to your operator, your bank, consumer groups, anti-virus companies or in worse cases to the nearby police station. The
more we are aware, the more we can all fight against criminality.