iPods ship with Windows virus

In a surprising turn of events, Apple Computer announced yesterday that a handful of fifth generation iPods, manufactured after September 12, contained the RavMonE virus, which affects Windows PCs. The virus apparently made its way on to the iPods via an infected machine in the manufacturing line of one of Apple's contract manufacturers. Apple, of course, used the opportunity to take a swipe at rival Microsoft on their website, "As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it." According to McAfee, the RavMonE virus is fairly low-risk although it can lower the security of the host machine and should be removed once identified. While the virus does not affect Macs or the iPod itself, this news is still an embarrassment for a company that prides themselves on what they refer to as "the highest level of security".

However consumer-centric the iPod may seem, this episode has serious ramifications for the enterprise as well. Many users carry iPods with them and some even plug their iPods into their machines at work, in order to access their music libraries through iTunes or to use them as portable storage devices. While this virus seems to be an isolated phenomenon, what if we start seeing malicious code that specifically targets devices like the iPod? Does your enterprise have a security policy in place for digital music players?

For more on the infected iPod:
- see this CNET article