Mobile security firm Lookout on Wednesday warned that Android-powered smartphones or tablets are being targeted with malicious software that puts them at the mercy of hacker overlords.
The persistence and sophistication of malware dubbed NotCompatible is another sign that cyber criminals are hitting smartphones and tablets with tactics and tenacity once reserved for desktop computers, according to Lookout security researcher Jeremy Linden.
"Mobile is becoming the dominant computing platform and, because it is so ubiquitous, we are seeing heightened malware targeting it," Linden told AFP. "Mobile malware is becoming very advanced and rapidly reaching parity with PC malware."
Information that can be mined from hacked smartphones includes where people have been, pictures taken and call logs. "It is the jackpot when it comes to valuable data, so obviously bad guys are doing a lot of work to get at it," Linden said.