Viruses & Malware: The world of smartphone-based viruses and malware is largely yet-to-be-discovered. But if the past is any indication of the future, it is not a matter of whether these threats will take shape, but when. Because the particulars of how malware will exploit mobile device vulnerabilities are largely unknown, sufficient countermeasures do not yet exist on the devices themselves. This makes it imperative that, whenever possible, threats be stopped before they reach the mobile inbox, especially when you consider the challenge mobile users have in distinguishing threats from valid email.

The approach to solving these problems is two-fold and must include both a technology and education component. From a technology perspective, you have to use tools that will protect both the desktop and the mobile inbox. While some security solutions may be well-suited for the desktop environment, they often will not adequately support the mobile environment. Keeping this in mind, you will want to consider technologies that are better able to address the unique security needs surrounding a mobile environment.

A best-in-class mobile/ desktop security solution does not necessarily mean the costliest one, but instead the one that has the right approach to the problem. It should yield a spam, virus and phish catch rate as close to 100% as possible. It must also provide the same easy-to-use self-management tools to users of mobile devices that are provided to desktop users to enhance security and reduce calls to IT.

Increasingly, leading e-mail security solutions are incorporating sender reputation components such as sender authentication and domain and IP reputation, and do not rely solely on the content of messages to identify spam. Solutions that rely solely on content analysis typically have higher false positive and spam rates, a frustration to users in a mobile environment. Sender reputation systems will be able to yield a higher spam catch rate, a lower number of false positives and supply both a more secure and productive mobile environment.