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Symantec pumps up Windows Mobile protection

Security company's Mobile Security Suite 5.0 to include antivirus, data encryption and firewall protection, plus management console.

David Meyer Special to CNET News.com
Symantec is preparing to launch a mobile-security suite for Windows Mobile devices that it says will offer the same level of security for handhelds as is standard for PCs.

Symantec Mobile Security Suite 5.0, due in May, is set to include antivirus, data encryption and firewall protection, as well as an enterprise management console for IT administrators, the security company said in a statement Monday. It will add to the functionality of the company's current Mobile AntiVirus product.

The software suite will also offer an add-on to let users connect to corporate networks through IPSec VPN tunnels, and network access control so IT administrators can make sure that only the right devices are connecting to the corporate network.

Administrators will be able to use the suite to enable or disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and device syncing, and to verify whether the device's security applications have been tampered with.

The issue of mobile security has proved controversial in the past, with accusations that mobile threats are overhyped.

A consumer version of the enterprise Mobile Security Suite, called Norton Mobile Security, is also planned for a May release. It will include many of the enterprise version's elements, with the exception of its VPN capabilities, Symantec said.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.