NEW YORK –
Trend Micro has beefed up its mobile
security software line with the release of its Mobile Security
Personal Addition title.
The software places additional emphasis on protecting
consumers from social-media-based cybercrime
along with threats attacking through mobile devices,
said Brook Stein, Trend Micro’s senior product
manager, consumer segment.
It is now available for $29.99 for a one-year subscription.
To counter these threats Trend Micro has bundled
its Titanium Maximum Security software in the suite.
This protects against social network intrusions and
through mobile devices.
The some criminal activity comes from fake links being
placed on Facebook pages and other sites that
once clicked upon take the user to a site where malware
is downloaded that could be used to steal passwords,
keystrokes and info that will give a thief access
to bank accounts.
Stein said this illegal activity is a $1 trillion business
worldwide with 300,000 pieces of malware being released
into the world every day.
Trend Micro’s software scans each link and gives it
either a green or red coloring indicating whether it is
considered safe.
The proliferation of mobile devices, particularly the
open-source Android has created a new pathway to
consumer’s important data.
“Mobile is becoming a very big space for us and
Android is an open platform so it’s a bigger potential
problem,” Stein said.
Apps are another method criminals are using to grab
sensitivity information, Stein said. Even apps found on
official sites can be problematic so Trend Micro’s software
scans each app and will send out an alarm if it is
deemed infected.
The software also has the ability to help track down
or render inoperative a lost or stolen Android device.
Users go to a web portal where it can be tracked using
Google maps. It can also be locked via the portal and
all the contents can even be wiped off the device by
triggering a factory reset. The software also locks the
device if the SIM card is removed.
