[LINK] OS diversity protects cell phones from virus outbreaks

[Kim Holburn]

Interesting article on why diversity is good.

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/04/cellphone-os-diversity-protecting-against-viruses.ars
> OS diversity protects cell phones from virus outbreaks
>
> A well-written MMS virus could saturate an entire population of cell  
> phones within a few hours, based on network modeling using real- 
> world use patterns. The only reason there hasn't been a serious  
> problem, the models suggest, is the fragmentation of the phone  
> operating system market.

> Events like the spread of the Conficker worm illustrate the risks  
> posed by the combination of a sophisticated operating system and an  
> always-on Internet connection. With the expanding popularity of  
> smartphones, which come with multitasking operating systems and  
> convenient software development kits, the same risk may definitely  
> apply. But, despite the fact that exploit code has been around for  
> several years, nothing on the scale of Conficker has ever struck the  
> cellphone world. A study that will be released online in Science  
> Express looks into why this might be the case, and concludes that a  
> major contributor is the lack of an operating system monoculture in  
> the cellphone world.


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Kim Holburn
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