Mobile viruses to bite next year?

Mobile security threats are expected to triple next year as smart phones and other mobile devices become more prevalent, according to a study released on Monday by McAfee Avert Labs.

The claims come at the end of a year when the threat posed by mobile phone viruses was largely written off as hype, though they were not discounted as a future threat.

McAfee expects to see around 550 new malicious software programs created for mobile devices, adding to an estimated 226 currently.

Mobile malware is not the only area expected to rise in the new year, said Craig Schmugar, virus research manager for McAfee Avert Labs. Targeted phishing attacks and spyware are also expected to increase. But growth in malicious programs for mobile phones is expected to accelerate the fastest.

Schmugar said: "As these devices become more pervasive, they become a bigger target."

Compounding the problem is consumers' lack of interest in applying security software to their mobile devices, Schmugar added. Many consumers view the threat of a mobile attack as less likely to affect them than an infiltration on their PCs, he said.

Commercial adware and spyware are expected to increase next year by 45 to 50 per cent. In 2005, these pernicious programs increased by 40 per cent compared over 2004, Schmugar said, noting that the category is maturing.

However, changes in federal and state legislation, along with self-policing in the advertising software industry, may contribute to a tempered growth, according to McAfee.

Targeted phishing attacks, meanwhile, became a trend this year and are expected to gain more traction next year as virus writers seek to stay under the radar of security software vendors, according to Schmugar. Smaller, more targeted attacks help keep phishing scams alive and enable malicious code writers to pull in profits over an extended period of time.

Dawn Kawamoto writes for CNET News.com