Kaspersky: Apple Allowing iOS AV Would Open Door to Malware

If Apple allowed antivirus vendors to offer AV on iOS devices like iPhones and iPads, it would also open the door to hackers.

That was the view of Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Russian antivirus firm Kaspersky, who admitted that if products like the ones his company produces were allowed onto iOS, Apple would have to open the doors of its ‘walled garden’, which would in turn allow for more malicious activity its mobile devices.

The problem, says Kaspersky, is that the more freedom a mobile platform has, the less security it has too. In a startling admission from an AV vendor, Kaspersky told TechWeekEurope that if Apple opened up, it would also “let criminals develop malware” for the platform.

Two sides of the coin

“It’s the two sides of the coin. It is a closed operating system which is more secure because it is closed,” he said during InfoSecurity Europe 2012 today. “But at the same time we are not allowed to design security software for these systems… there is no perfect world.”

Kaspersky said if Apple did not open iOS’ doors to AV vendors it would lead to a “huge disaster” if cyber criminals were able to figure out how to exploit the operating system. If malware gets onto iOS devices “security companies are not able to disinfect them”, he warned.

“I’m pretty sure there are many vulnerabilities in iOS,” Kaspersky claimed. “For security companies it is not possible to change Apple’s mind because they have their strategy, their way. I think they will follow this way until something really bad happens.”

AV vendors do have products for iOS, but they are cloud-based and do not have access to low-level iOS code, which would help them build the same quality of antivirus as they do for Windows PCs. Google’s Android mobile OS faces many more threats than Apple’s App Store, largely because it is much easier to upload malicious apps to the former’s market. However, there is a large number of Android antivirus products available on Google Play.

Kaspersky had some harsh words for Apple, following on from the Flashback malware that infected over 600,000 Mac machines. As well as claiming Apple was 10 years behind Microsoft in security, he said the iPhone maker had still not recognised the threat facing its systems.

“To me it was clear that sooner or later cybercriminals will pay more attention to Mac,” the CEO continued. “Microsoft faced so many problems at the beginning of 2000, all these epidemics that made Microsoft invest a lot in security.

“Apple doesn’t recognise there is a problem. It is the same as Microsoft 12 years ago. Microsoft didn’t recognise security issues as a problem. After a series of incidents they changed their minds.

“I’m afraid Apple will face the same problems in the future.”

Apple hasn’t yet responded to requests to comment on the ideas in this article.

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