Spybot Search and Destroy has released a Windows mobile version extending its malware and spyware scanning functionality to handheld devices. A good move considering the sheer volume of Windows related viruses out there. Although many people consider mobile viruses more a marketing hype than an urgent need or even a pressing reality, Spybot's excellent product is available for free for anyone interested in using it.

Spybot-S&D for Windows Mobile uses a lightweight version of the detection engine of Spybot-S&D for Windows to detect threats for Windows Mobile and Symbian both, the later because Bluetooth worms could spread over OS borders, and while they would not perform on an incompatible OS, they would still waste precious space on the device...

The Spybot site offers downloads for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices including direct download to mobile. The program installs in a standard manner with easy to navigate menus - just initiate a scan and hopefully nothing "nasty" will be found on your phone.

As far as I can make out though, I'm still in the mobile viruses as overrated category. Reading this great article on Slashdot helped me understand why this is so. In a nutshell, most mobile devices PROMPT you to install anything to the whole concept of something sneaking onto your phone while you're mowing the lawn falls flat. Due to limited memory on such devices people are also not prone to download large amounts of data. Not surprisingly, the best virus protection may be "sigh" common sense. How about just not instaliing content from an untrusted publishers? says Mobileanalyst. Still, as this excellent video from ZDNet shows, mobile viruses  are slated to increase and prevention is a good step. Hype or not, it's where the market seems to be heading with Symbian controlling over 70% of it as last count.

Via MsMobile