Symantec Security Response has issued a warning about EPOC.Cabir, a proof-of-concept worm that replicates on Nokia Series 60 phones. This worm repeatedly sends itself to the first Bluetooth-enabled device that it can find, regardless of the type of device. (For example, even a Bluetooth-enabled printer will be attacked if it is within range.) The worm spreads as a .SIS file, which is installed into the APPS directory. There is no payload, apart from the vastly shortened battery life caused by the constant scanning for Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Symantec recommends users take the following steps to mitigate against this threat:

• If Bluetooth is not required, it should be turned off.
• If you require the use of Bluetooth, ensure that the device's visibility setting is set to "Hidden" so that it cannot be scanned by other Bluetooth devices.
• Avoid use of device pairing. If it must be used, ensure that all paired devices are set to "Unauthorized". This requires each connection request to be authorized by the user.
• Do not accept unsigned applications (no digital signature) or applications sent from unknown sources. Be absolutely sure of the origin of the application before accepting it.

In addition, Symantec Security Response encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":

• Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.
• If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.
• Always keep your patch levels up-to-date, especially on computers that host public services and are accessible through the firewall, such as HTTP, FTP, mail, and DNS services.
• Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit damage when a computer is compromised.
• Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
• Isolate infected computers quickly to prevent further compromising your organization. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.
• Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. Also, do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Web site can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.