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It was only a question of time. Viruses, worms, trojans and malware already made the jump from computer systems to portable devices like smart phones. Now rootkits are here. Unlike the above mentioned rather unnerving elements, rootkits prove to be a serious security threat. »Security? I'm not saving important data on my iPhone!« you may say. But besides the fact that there are people that have lots of sensitive data on their mobiles, that is not the point here. Think about what your cell knows about you:

- Calls.

- SMS, maybe emails.

- Appointments.

- Names, numbers and adresses.

- It goes where you go.

- It hears what you hear.

In business conferences you have your phone with you. It has a microphone and sending capabilities. Rootkits are able to access all of your phones features including WiFi, calling, speakerphone function and GPRS. Imagine someone listening in on confidential business conferences, tracking your every step. Imagine someone turning on your camera function and speakerphone while you're at home with your life partner. You see what this could mean now, yes?

Our ongoing digizombiefication has lead us to taking our phones everywhere and giving them enough power to run dangerous apps. We created the perfect spies for everyone who wants to get to us.

Flexispy is a small firm that has already incorporated a similar technology in their spyphone products. In case you want to »catch cheating wives or cheating husbands, stop employee espionage, protect children, make automatic backups, bug meetings rooms and check babysitters« or whatever reason they give to make this seem legal. Oh, wait, bugging meeting rooms? I wonder why their office is located in the Republic of Seychelles...

So far Flexispy, the mentioned rootkits and malware spread over pirated games on P2P networks like Doomboot.A-Q and Cabir all have one thing in common so far: They have to be executed/clicked/acknowledged to be installed. So far.

The danger of civil mobile trojans is not too big so far, since they can't spread on their own. What is available to the military can only be rumored so far, but they definitely have an interest here.

Of course there are anti-virus tools for your smart phone available. F-Secure, Symantec, Kaspersky, SimWorks and others all have their fingers on this emerging market, but none of them are able to detect full-blown rootkits right now. And with MetalGearA, mobile trojans armed to disable such security apps have been out for years now, too.

Next time you are in a meeting and someone asks you to turn your cell off, don't just put it in silent mode. Shut it off. No one will be listening right now, but it is hard to say when right now ends and the future begins.