The fiasco with the Etisalat spyware is possibly still not over.  Effectively both Etisalat and SS8 may jeopardize the safety of not only its own subscribers but many other BlackBerry users globally.  The whitepaper analyzing the spyware that I released had me thinking further in the future.  If I have a copy of the spyware, and I have analyzed it, including modifying it, there may be possibilities that other, less ethical groups, use this software to aid them in rapidly developing and deploying improved versions of the spyware.  Commonly done with virus authors, these so-called variants often evolve based on a single initial release.

The simplest approach for malware authors to take is to modify the existing spyware from SS8/Etisalat, make their new versions and deploy them to unsuspecting users.  The argument here is the ease with which even a novice developer can get up to speed with malware development for the BlackBerry platform.  The howto guide is right there in front of them in the form of the decompiled source code.

While the BlackBerry platform enjoys one of the highest levels of security around, user awareness goes a long way in completing the circle.  Using the built-in features of the BlackBerry platform such as Default Permissions and the Firewall and always being vigilant of the software that is being downloaded are some of the initial steps a user should take.  Beyond that, making use of third party applications can offer some added protection.