Intego brings malware scanning to iOS

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 13 July 2011 11:46

Your IT - Mobility

Security software vendor Intego has released a malware scanner for Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

In some countries, it's considered normal to wear a surgical mask if you think you may be coming down with the flu or another respiratory infection.  It doesn't stop you getting sick, but it might help reduce the chance of you passing on the bug to other people.

That's a parallel with Intego's VirusBarrier iOS malware scanner for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. It doesn't attempt to protect against iOS exploits (such as those used for remote jailbreaks); instead it is an on-demand scanner for files that are destined to reach computers via email, Dropbox and other sharing mechanisms.

The software can scan files (including email attachments) stored on iOS devices, as well as remote files on services such as MobileMe, Dropbox, web servers and WebDav servers. In addition to scanning for Mac, Windows and Unix malware, VirusBarrier iOS is also said to be capable of scanning websites for known phishing URLs, web threats and malware hosting.

The $3.99 app includes 12 months updates. Renewals cost $2.49 per year and are handled via in-app purchasing. In common with other items sold through the App Store, the purchase price includes a substantial markup on the $US2.99 charged in the US. At current exchange rates and allowing for GST, a more appropriate price would be $3.09, and perhaps $2.09 for renewals.