anti-virus and firewall apps

[CEUK]

Hi,
Do I need install an anti-virus and firewall apps on my new HTC 8S Windows Phone 8? Can you catch a viruses by surfing the web or installing apps. If yes, can you please recommend an app.

Thank You

 

[GoodThings2Life]

For the foreseeable future, you do not need any kind of antivirus software. The platform doesn't really have any points to attack.

That could change in the future, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

 

[ohgood]

Hi,
Do I need install an anti-virus and firewall apps on my new HTC 8S Windows Phone 8? Can you catch a viruses by surfing the web or installing apps. If yes, can you please recommend an app.

Thank You

Do not layer any os with antivirus or similar junk. If the os needs layers of junk to operate, change os's.

If the 95/98 2000 and xp era was built correctly, you wouldn't be asking about it now.

Anyway, just enjoy your phone.

 

[EveningStarNM]

The platform doesn't really have any points to attack.

I think you meant "that we've been told about". I'm reminded of Mac users' famous last words that their OS was invulnerable -- even after numerous attacks were publicly known.

Do you open email attachments on your phone? Do you visit web sites? Do you open JPEG or WMF images on your phone? Do you open PDF documents? There are lots of vectors for malware to get into your phone. The folks at hackers conferences pass time when they're bored breaking into each others devices, and Windows phones are not special.

Just because Microsoft says we don't need antivirus or firewall protections doesn't make it so, but opening the door to such protection would also allow us to control more of our privacy, and neither Microsoft nor mobile ISPs can't afford to let us do that. They make too much money off of knowing which finger we use to scratch our nose.

 

[EveningStarNM]

Do not layer any os with antivirus or similar junk. If the os needs layers of junk to operate, change os's.

If the 95/98 2000 and xp era was built correctly, you wouldn't be asking about it now.

Wow! You must certainly know how to write millions of lines of code perfectly. That's absolutely amazing! It's astounding! It's never been done before! You ought to tell Satya Nadella the YOU should be put in charge of the Windows division!

 

[andrei_1998]

Viruses can't run, because no program has permissions to the OS.
Nokia Care answers your questions about viruses and malware - Conversations
There is the explication.
Hope you will get more calm.

 

[index1366]

Don't install such worthless stuff onto you either phone or computer. The best antivirus "software" is your healthy state of mind

 

[EveningStarNM]

Don't install such worthless stuff onto you either phone or computer. The best antivirus "software" is your healthy state of mind

Rrriiiiiiggghhhht. And the only people who ever get infected are the ones who are careless or who want to get infected. You bet. Gotcha.

We can only assume that you do absolutely no web browsing at all -- either that, or you're a malware writer trying to talk people into being your next victims.

 

[EveningStarNM]

Viruses can't run, because no program has permissions to the OS.
Nokia Care answers your questions about viruses and malware - Conversations
There is the explication.
Hope you will get more calm.

When the folks at hacker conferences get bored listening to the speakers, they practice hacking into each others' phones. They do it to pass the time.

Nokia says their Windows Phone OSes can't be over-written. Unfortunately for their credibility, that's exactly what updates do. The OS contains a mechanism for over-writing itself. In addition, there are other kinds of malware that don't have to over-write the OS but can run in user space. You can download an app that is vicious to you but that leaves the OS intact. In addition, there has never been a software application of more than a few hundred lines that has gone into production without bugs in it. Not ever. We're talking about millions of lines of code here. There are bugs in it that can be exploited.

It's foolish to think your phone is invulnerable. It isn't, and because we have no power to protect ourselves with third-party tools, we should understand the risks of keeping confidential data on our phones.

 

[xandros9]

When the folks at hacker conferences get bored listening to the speakers, they practice hacking into each others' phones. They do it to pass the time.

Nokia says their Windows Phone OSes can't be over-written. Unfortunately for their credibility, that's exactly what updates do. The OS contains a mechanism for over-writing itself. In addition, there are other kinds of malware that don't have to over-write the OS but can run in user space. You can download an app that is vicious to you but that leaves the OS intact. In addition, there has never been a software application of more than a few hundred lines that has gone into production without bugs in it. Not ever. We're talking about millions of lines of code here. There are bugs in it that can be exploited.

It's foolish to think your phone is invulnerable. It isn't, and because we have no power to protect ourselves with third-party tools, we should understand the risks of keeping confidential data on our phones.

Get off your high horse, yes, virii exist, yes, no OS is perfect. But as far as the public knows, nobody has jailbroken Windows Phone for whatever reason, whether Android is a better target, or just the restrictive nature.
Yes, the update can write over stuff, but has it been exploited? I don't know, do you?

OK, since its so easy, why don't you go find those bugs, turn them into something useable, and get us that Interop-Unlock some people have been waiting for! What are you waiting for?

Not saying Windows Phone is unhackable, Samsung ATIVs got a jailbreak when people got a handhold through one of Samsung's tools. But still, it's highly unlikely to impossible for a malicious app to come thorough IE or the Store. But hey, we had that jailbreakme website thing for iOS among others so its not out of the realm of impossibility.