computer science

Palmtops or PDAs provide new opportunities for viruses, but so far
virus writers have shown little interest.

Palmtops or PDAs run special operating systems – such as Palm and Microsoft
PocketPC. These are vulnerable to malicious code, but so far the risks are low.
There are currently only a few items of known malware written for Palm.
Virus writers prefer to target desktop systems, perhaps because they are more popular
and allow viruses to spread rapidly via email and the internet.
The real risk at present is that your palmtop will act as a carrier. When you connect
it to a home or offi ce PC to synchronize data, a virus that is harmless on the palmtop
could spread to the PC, where it can do harm. To avoid this risk, follow our tips on
How to avoid viruses, Trojans, worms and spyware and always run anti-virus software
on your desktop computer.