To be clear, I applaud the guys at Arbor Networks for letting us know that iPhone users will suffer "a serious attack" next year. But I can't help but wonder if they're using the smartphone's popularity to score some coverage from some high profile online publications like MobileCrunch.

There's no doubt that smartphones and PDAs have their vulnerabilities, as do other complicated devices that have weaknesses that people with enough skill and patience will eventually exploit. We can categorize their attacks as inevitable; it's only a matter of time.

And it's true what Andrew Storms, Arbor Networks' directory of security operations, says: "Those who hack for good or bad are always interested in the newest target and even better is a new target with a large install base." High profile gadgets like the iPhone are thus vulnerable.

Yet we must realize that dealing with threats is a normal part of using technology-based products. That's the reason why some of us take the time to create strong passwords, wipe our phones clean before selling or giving them away, invest in virus scanners, and take other security measures.

I'm thinking that those in the know should spend less energy sensationalizing threats as if they were some cataclysmic event that we should fear. It would be better to publicize the dangers, and helpfully let people know what they can do to prevent or deal with them.

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