Though iPods are safe for the time being, experts warn that as with other exploits, it may only be a matter of time before a legitimate threat emerges. "We've seen it happen over and over in the malware world," says Dee Liebenstein, the director of product management at SecureWave. "Someone will do a test, creating a simple thing that does no real damage. Once hackers see that the approach works, they continue to tweak it and use it for malicious intent." Moreover, Liebenstein notes that the danger will only increase with devices like the Apple iPhone, which runs a full-fledged operating system and may be correspondingly exposed to further viruses. Analyst Nick Selby of The 451 Group suggests, however, that attacks may be a long time in coming. "There's often a long way to go from proof of concept to in-the-wild exploit."