5. October 2009 14:07
The latest generation of smartphones is being targeted by criminal hackers to gain access to user credentials. The reason is simple – the number of smartphones is rapidly growing, allowing users to surf the internet, shop online and email from their phones. This has created a fertile market for hackers to exploit – similar to targeting PCs to steal data that they can use for their profit.
A recent survey conducted by YouGov shows, that 60 per cent of modern mobile phones contain some form of online login information, but that only 7 per cent of users have any type of security in place on their mobile handset. This means that more than half of the smartphones are wide open for cybercrime attacks aimed at stealing valuable data.
This is especially worrisome considering that Apple is in the process of closing non-exclusive deals with new cellular carriers across Europe, and the availability of a multitude of third party applications for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile-drive smartphones.
We can therefore expect a rise in cybercrime targeted at smartphone users. Since smartphones are far less well protected, it will be easier for cybercriminals to steal credit or debit card details from smartphones than from desktop PCs.
At Finjan, we therefore strongly recommend all portable device users to protect their user credentials. Be aware that unlocking your mobile phone for unauthorized third-party applications could put you at risk. The bottom line: if you are using a portable device to enter your financial user credentials or payment card details, think very carefully if it would be safe to do so.
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