Antivirus for IPAD

[Migration User]

I am currently in a ISD enviroment that has approximatly 3000+ workstations. We are currently running SEP 11.0.5 on our clients. We are getting increasing requests to add Ipads and Ipods to our wireless network. We have contined to deny this request, since there is no known SEP product for the IPAD or IPODS. I am just checking and wanting to make sure that this is accurate that there are no SEP products for this OS or any that are in the works. We are recommending to our end users to purchase netbooks with a windows OS so that we can secure them. We do not currently support MACS on our network at this time. I know that some have asked about having some devices with the Droid software on them. Is there currently a SEP product for them or one in the works. I am just curious if anyone else in the ISD enviroment is having the same issue and what they are doing/recommending. Thanks

[Thomas K]

The Mac OS client was added to SEP 11 RU6 for AV only. Currently there is no AV products from Symantec that will protect the Ipad. IMO, I would bet you will see a product for the consumer side of business before an enterprise product is released.

 

http://www.symantec.com/business/products/sysreq.jsp?pcid=pcat_security&pvid=endpt_prot_1

Mac OS X

• Mac OS X 10.4-10.6 (32-bit only)
• 256 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended) for Mac OS X 10.4
• 512 MB of RAM for Mac OS X 10.5
• 1 GB of RAM for Mac OS X 10.6
• 300 MB hard disk for Mac

Best,

Thomas

[Migration User]

Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 is supported on Ipad?

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH141929
 

No, not is supported.

[ℬrίαη]

There aren't as of yet but I have heard mobile editions for Droid/Ipad will be out this year some time from Symantec. There was a post on this forum awhile back, I can't find it currently but I know I did see that it was on the roadmap.

You can check the mobile security forum though

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/security/forums/mobile-security

We have allowed Ipdads/Droids to connect, not to our network per se, but through our mobile connect server for email only. However, we can wipe the device (even if it's a personal one) at any time. Of course, the users have to sign a form for this.

[Migration User]

 

Mac OS is different from the iOS used on portable Apple devices like iPod, iPad and iPhone which rely on Apps. So, I guess we would have to wait for Symantec to release an App for its AV products. 

[Migration User]

Mac OS X 10.4-10.6 (32-bit only)

Just want to note that this information is wrong--I am going to see if I can get it changed.  64-bit kernel mode (OS X 10.6 only) is supported for SEP for Mac. 

Also, SEP will not install on OS X 10.4 machines that have a G3 processor.  (The OS is supported; the processor is not.)

sandra

[Thomas K]

Sandra,

 

Thanks for the corrections. Looks like the Release notes has the correct info.

 

Release Update 6 (RU6)

What's new in this version
The current release includes the following improvements that make Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Network Access Control easier and more efficient to use.

Symantec Endpoint Protection includes client software to run on a Macintosh computer. The client runs on the following versions of Mac OS X:

• Mac OS 10.4
• Mac OS 10.5
• Mac OS 10.6 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH103087&locale=en_US

[Migration User]

You're welcome!  Glad to see the Release Notes has it correctly noted.

sandra

[Migration User]

There is no current antivirus solution for the iPad.  (SEP 11.0.6 added support for Mac OS X, which (obviously) is different than iOS (on the iPad/iPod)). Please check out the following Idea and add your vote:

Add iPhone and iPad Support to Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile Edition

(iPad, iPod and Mac... not all caps )

I could not find anything about the Droid OS.  Perhaps add a comment to the Idea thread, or create a new Idea.

sandra

[Migration User]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I have been doing some research into this and am getting confused as to what is currently out there. I found this link http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20101004_04 which says that a product will be out at the end of this year, but it also says in the same article there is a current product for consumer and enterprise users. Also i found the Symantec Endpoint Protection, Mobile Edition, but am unsure what it works on. I know this may sound simple, just kinda not understand all the different information is out there. From what i see Trend Micro has a product, but i am wanting to stay with SEP for all my AV needs. Would be great to have a AV that worked on any mobile device (Ipod, Ipad, Blackberry, and Droid) and could all be monitored and controlled from my SEPM. Thanks again

[Migration User]

SEP Mobile Edition currently is for Windows Mobile (6.5 and earlier), Windows CE and Symbian.

Most of the security products you see nowadays for iOS, Droid, Phone 7, WebOS or Blackberry are management solutions, or an inventory system.  It would allow folks to remote wipe devices, enable encryption (when supported by the vendor), apply wireless profiles, remote control, password policy enforcement...

Apple in particular issues different encryption keys to each area of the iOS filesystem.  Each area does not have the keys to the other areas.  This pretty much quarantines (no pun intended) each area from each other.  When you browse the web on an iPad, it would be very difficult (if at all able to) for a web page to be able to access your emails or videos on the device.  Basically, everything is in its own sandbox.  This is the very reason it would be very difficult to provide a true antivirus solution on an iOS device, since the AV product would be unable to access the filesystem.  This is also a reason that it would be more difficult, but by no means impossible, to have effectively malicious software on an iOS device.

I think if Symantec or another vendor was to be able to create a successful antivirus solution for one of these devices, it would need help from Apple creating some API's for the vendor to be able to hook into.

I want to say there is some level of an AV product from Symantec coming out for Phone 7 soon, and there is a Norton Mobile product available for the Android OS.  I have not heard anything that would indicate these can be managed by a SEPM or will be, but I wouldn't be surprised down the line.

[Mick2009]

The followers of this thraed may be interested in a new whitepaper from Symantec: "The Current State of Mobile Device Security"

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/new-symantec-research-current-state-mobile-device-security

Definitely worth reading!

Also see this article about Android support: Symantec AntiVirus Product for Android Platform (http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH145118 ) 

And this proposed "Idea" for Windows Phone 7 support: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/ideas/symantec-endpoint-protection-mobile-edition-windows-phone-7

 

Thanks and best regards,

 

Mick

 
 

[Migration User]

Hmm interesting

I would imagine only certain vendor would create AV specially for the big "A" products...

It's pretty niche, just like AV for Mobile/Embedded environment. However looking at the rate of tablet/smarphone penetration, i guess only time will tell ;)

[Mick2009]

 

Add WebOS Support to Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile Edition