AP/MSNBC: Some Viruses Come Pre-Installed

**Arcángel** · #1 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 09:57 AM

By Jordan Robertson

updated 6:58 p.m. ET, Thurs., March. 13, 2008

From iPods to navigation systems, some of today's hottest gadgets are landing on store shelves with some unwanted extras from the factory — pre-installed viruses that steal passwords, open doors for hackers and make computers spew spam.
Computer users have been warned for years about virus threats from downloading Internet porn and opening suspicious e-mail attachments. Now they run the risk of picking up a digital infection just by plugging a new gizmo into their PCs.

Some viruses come pre-installed - Security - MSNBC.com

**Opunaya** · 03-26-2008, 10:16 AM

Yes, this makes me feel perfectly safe about buying new tech.

**Arcángel** · 03-26-2008, 10:31 AM

I've always wondered what kind of security implementations are put in place for devices like this. What worries me the most is the diverse types of devices and how they are able to transmit to remote computers, either by a cable, Wi-Fi, or Infrared. This worries me when I hear about wi-fi capabilities on devices such as the Zune, iPhone, PS3 and some of the other newer gadgets that are out there.

I'm willing to bet that the operating systems on these devices are nowhere near hardened with any sort of countermeasures to protect against this, and that the only way that updates will be thought of is after witnessing a zero-hour attack affecting the device in question.