Skip to main content

Symantec guns for mobile security threats

Symantec will soon be providing security for mobile devices, too

Symantec says it will be moving into protecting phones and PDAs with portable versions of its security products. The company's new smartphone security applications include anti-spam, anti-virus and a firewall. "It looks just like the desktop products" said Con Mallon, european marketing director for Symantec.

"It's the idea that security is moving from [just laptops] to smartphones - they're on the home network," says Mallon. "You are getting spammed on these things. The most important thing is this has a firewall. It's got Explorer, you're on a network."

Asked whether Symantec saw a potential move away from PC security, Mallon side-stepped to point at the opportunity the mobile market presents. "From our point of view, there's an opportunity there, to get the Norton product out to more people.

"These threats at the moment are probably more latent, but we're convinced there's the opportunity there and we need to start to lock this stuff down. I think it would be remiss of us if we didn't do it. If we didn't do it, [people would say] we'd be a bad security company."

The company is also looking at providing security for internet-enabled games consoles.