Thieves using Wi-Fi, malware to steal data.
Major security firms say 2013 will be the year that smartphones will finally emerge as a major target for cybercriminals. Smartphones are becoming more of a mobile wallet for people and with that comes a greater risk of cyber attacks according High Tech Texan Michael Garfield.
"They're not just being used for email or web surfing," Garfield tells KTRH News. "They're also being used for online banking, sending personal information, even going into the cloud and storing personal documents."
With mobile payments expected to total $50 billion this year, Garfield says it's important to protect your personal information like you would at home.
"Just like you have on your laptop or your desktop, there are free apps that you can download on your smartphone," he says. "One that I recommend is called Lookout Mobile Security."
That should protect against newly emerging ransomware or malware designed specifically for smartphones.
Garfield adds one of the biggest threats is public Wi-Fi hot spots.
"If you really want to send private documents, or documents you don't want potentially falling into other hands, I suggest just using your cell phone, your typical cell data not the Wi-Fi," he says. "That’s because you never know when you're sitting at a coffee shop who will be tapping into that Wi-Fi."
