Eugene Kaspersky has claimed Apple is blocking attempts to bring third-party security software to the iPhone.

Speaking exclusively to PC Pro, the CEO of Kaspersky Lab claimed Apple has repeatedly refused to deliver the software development kit (SDK) necessary to design security software for the phone.

"We have been in contact for two years with Apple to develop our anti-theft software, [but] still we do not have permission," said Kaspersky.

Kaspersky already offers security software for Symbian and Windows Mobile phones, and will soon offer applications for both BlackBerry and Android. And although he admits the risk of viruses infecting the iPhone is "almost zero", he claims that securing the data on the handset is critical, especially as iPhones are increasingly being used for business purposes.

"Are you OK to lose your address list?" The Russian asked. "I'm not. It's a risk to lose the data. Anti-theft is a major component [of Kaspersky's software]."

"I don't want to say Apple's is the wrong way of behaving, or the right way," Kaspersky added. "It's just a corporate culture - it wants to control everything".

Apple was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

End of Apple's reign?

Kaspersky claimed Apple's closed-shop approach will eventually see the company knocked off its smartphone pedestal. "If Apple doesn't change its mind, it will lose market share and become a niche player."

He said Apple's repeating the mistakes it made in the computer market, where it lost out to Microsoft, which encouraged developers to write for the Windows platform. "Apple has a three-year timeframe to become the new Microsoft," he said. "If I were Steve Jobs, I'd spend those three years building a software community around Apple."

Government body with sensitive data at hand and this is allowed to leave the premises. Use a desktop or Kensington FFS. I've seen homeless people have better IT security than this.