'Phone Flu' Could Infect Mobile Devices
Researchers demonstrate ability of wireless devices to pass viruses through close proximity
Viruses and worms may spread between Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices in the same manner as flu viruses in humans, researchers say.
According to a news report, Christopher Rhodes, an expert on infectious diseases at Imperial College London, has partnered with Maziar Nekovee, a researcher at BT's research lab in Suffolk, U.K., to create a mathematical model to discern how a wireless computer worm could spread between portable devices.
In their study, the experts tested their theory in a crowd carrying Bluetooth-enabled phones. The people had to move in a line, and at a fixed speed. The researchers concluded that a phone infected with a virus has a fixed probability of infecting other devices while they are within range.
According to Rhodes, the spread of a wireless worm could be represented using a a standard mass-action mixing model -- a common tool for representing virus outbreaks. "The model is actually very similar to something like influenza," he said.
Experts are worried that a wireless worm might spread most efficiently in a busy setting, and might also hop between geographically distant locations via airplanes.
— Tim Wilson, Site Editor, Dark Reading
About the Author
You May Also Like
DevSecOps/AWS
Oct 17, 2024Social Engineering: New Tricks, New Threats, New Defenses
Oct 23, 202410 Emerging Vulnerabilities Every Enterprise Should Know
Oct 30, 2024Simplify Data Security with Automation
Oct 31, 2024