Well, my two-year subscription to Symantec Security (anti-virus and firewall) for my 9300 expired last week.
I finally removed it from my phone.
This program was probably the biggest waste of money that I had with the 9300:
1. The software required you to cable-connect your phone to another computer in order to download virus-signature updates. The live update would not function over a WAP link. Worse than that, the software and documentation did not tell you this. And worst of all, the update software would often not function at all (failing to connect on Symantec's end of the wire!).
2. Whenever you did a cold reboot of the phone, it would load its shell process and tell you that your subscription had expired until you reset the clock/calendar on the phone.
3. It slowed the 9300 down continuously--as it checks each and every file that you open. Most of the files that I open are ebooks (TomeRaider and MobiReader) and my 477MB copy of Wikipedia really gave Symantec Security a workout!
4. It NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. Perhaps this was because I practice safe computing (i.e. I don't download and run anything that I am not certain of where it came from or what it would do).
Summary: It is now out of my 9300 which gave me more memory and CPU cycles back.
I've read that there were a few Symbian viruses out there, most of them spread by "promiscuous" Bluetooth file transfer. Has anyone here ever seen one?
Is there really a need for an antivirus program or firewall for the 9300?
rdcinhou wrote:Well, my two-year subscription to Symantec Security (anti-virus and firewall) for my 9300 expired last week.I finally removed it from my phone.
This program was probably the biggest waste of money that I had with the 9300:
1. The software required you to cable-connect your phone to another computer in order to download virus-signature updates. The live update would not function over a WAP link. Worse than that, the software and documentation did not tell you this. And worst of all, the update software would often not function at all (failing to connect on Symantec's end of the wire!).
2. Whenever you did a cold reboot of the phone, it would load its shell process and tell you that your subscription had expired until you reset the clock/calendar on the phone.
3. It slowed the 9300 down continuously--as it checks each and every file that you open. Most of the files that I open are ebooks (TomeRaider and MobiReader) and my 477MB copy of Wikipedia really gave Symantec Security a workout!
4. It NEVER FOUND ANYTHING. Perhaps this was because I practice safe computing (i.e. I don't download and run anything that I am not certain of where it came from or what it would do).
Summary: It is now out of my 9300 which gave me more memory and CPU cycles back.
I've read that there were a few Symbian viruses out there, most of them spread by "promiscuous" Bluetooth file transfer. Has anyone here ever seen one?
Is there really a need for an antivirus program or firewall for the 9300?
If it was S60 and you were keeping on trying things from untrusted sites, I would say there is a slight need but as S80 is not that popular, nobody coded a virus for it.
I say you should just do these things and don't install any on access scanner.
1) Get ClamAv for your platform (windows, os x, linux etc.) , it can check Symbian viruses (for peace of mind) http://www.clamav.net/ free and opensource.
2) Make bluetooth "invisible" so it won't be detectable by random phones (and viruses) or better, it is just a single shortcut to disable it.
3) Get software only from trustable sites (like this site)
4) Stay away from "crack" etc. type of things or things promising too much for free.
5) As Nokia changed policy, you may consider to disable unsigned application installation as even open source and freeware got certificates now.
Symantec would be my LAST choice (or not even a choice) on any platform. Kaspersky guys are good on things ( http://www.kaspersky.com ) but as I said above, there is really a little need for antivirus. Antivirus matters as corporate wide installation and it wouldn't be Symantec.