Sony Ericsson installs security software on mobile phones

Seeking to address the problem of cellular phone theft in the Philippines, mobile handset manufacturer Sony Ericsson announced that it will be installing security software on some of its smartphone handsets, starting with the recently launched Xperia X8 model, which runs on Google’s Android operating system.

While previous models can be installed with third party security applications, Sony Ericsson tapped McAfee for the Xperia X8’s security software, which is called WaveSecure.

In an interview, Sony Ericsson General Manager Dennis Manzano said the inclusion of a security application was a “natural progression” as the company sees growth in the smartphone handset, which has become a target for both phone thieves as well as cybercriminals looking to steal valuable data from the phones when it is connected to the Internet.

Manzano said mobile phone security is nothing new, though people have a tendency to actually forget that their phones are very unsecured against phone thieves. But most importantly, smartphones that are Internet-enabled can fall victims to viruses and malicious applications that steal data.

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