For the Common Defense
David Alan Grier · Computer · 2021
When a specialized article becomes part of our body of knowledge, it speaks not only for itself but also for an entire community of researchers. Like many of the articles in our list of influential publications, "Mobile Security: Finally a Serious Problem" is actually the second major piece written by the author on that topic. Like many authors, he needed to revisit the subject and refine his ideas. Leavitt's first article appeared in 2005. There are "a growing number of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses that target cellular phones," he wrote in his first discussion of the problem. "Although none of the new attacks has done extensive damage in the wild," he added, but that "it’s only a matter of time before this occurs." Five years later, he was not so sanguine. After "years of warnings about mobile security, there finally appears to be a reason to worry," Leavitt explained. The "number and types of mobile threats - including viruses, spyware, malicious downloadable applications, phishing, and spam - have spiked in recent months."