FBI warns smartphone users of malware threat

US governmental agency FBI is alerting smartphone users to the growing threat of malware. Its Internet Crime Complaint Center has issued a warning to people whose handsets run the Android operating system about two newly identified threats Loozfon and FinFisher

US governmental agency FBI is alerting smartphone users to the growing threat of malware. Its Internet Crime Complaint Center has issued a warning to people whose handsets run the Android operating system about two newly identified threats Loozfon and FinFisher, as well as offering advice and guidance about keeping their smartphones and their contents safe from potential attacks.

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Loozfon can steal contact details from a user's address book if they click on a link contained in an email that promises a work-from-home opportunity.

FinFisher can give hackers remote control of one's smartphone if they visit a web link or open a text message that is disguised as a system update.

Malware threats to the Android operating system are not new. Back in August 2010, Kaspersky Lab identified the first Trojan virus aimed at Android devices but the threat of viruses and malware is increasing because an increasing number of consumers own smartphones and use them to surf the net and manage aspects of their lives like agendas and email.

As Android is the leading operating system, it is also the most likely to be targeted. Since Apple doesn't license its operating system to third parties, iPhone users are less vulnerable to attacks, but that doesn't mean that they are immune. On October 12, the FBI has provided the following tips that should help keep all smartphone users, Android and Apple alike, safe from harm.