Antivirus software Symantec has launched a testing version of what it claims is the first antivirus software solution for the popular Palm handheld computer just a few weeks after the first Palm Trojan was discovered.

The public beta versions of the antivirus software will protect Palm the users against known threat -- Palm.Liberty.A -- but is also designed to protect against known and potential methods of exploiting the Palm operating system. Security experts have dismissed recent reports concerning PDA/phone viruses and Trojan horse programs as alarmist.

Most, however, agree that as mobile platforms get more powerful and carry more sensitive information the risk from computer viruses and other forms of attack will increase. The next generation of high-speed mobile phone network technology -- GPRS and UMTS -- will also make it possible for mobile devices to communicate, send and receive attachments and executable data.

While content providers are rubbing their hands over the prospect of catering to a mobile Internet audience, the potential security risk opens up another lucrative market.

"Palm.Liberty.A -- the first known Trojan horse for the Palm OS -- demonstrated that handheld devices are susceptible to malicious attacks like other mainstream computing platforms," says chief technical officer of Symantec Ron Moritz in a release. "Symantec is extending its industry-leading virus protection to the growing population of Palm device users."

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