The emerging market for making "micro-payments" via mobile phones
is set to become a prime target for hackers, who could infect
devices with software viruses and siphon off money from users'
accounts, security experts have warned.
The warning follows the launch of the first mainstream
micro-payment service for mobile phone users by Vodafone.
Micro-payments cover the £5-or-less spending bracket not served by
credit or debit cards.
As mobile phones become more powerful, users will be able to
download software applications from the Internet, such as e-mail or
a company's directory, making them an attractive target for
hackers.
In recent years there have been reports of viruses specifically
targeting mobile phones in Europe.
Graham Titterington, senior consultant at analyst firm Ovum, said
hackers could create software viruses and use computers to randomly
dial thousands of mobile phone numbers, some of which may download
rogue software.
A Trojan horse - a program that appears legitimate, but performs
some illicit activity when it is run - could be used to locate
password information or make the system more vulnerable to entry. A
hacker could use it to siphon off small amounts of money from
thousands of accounts.
Alternatively, the virus could simply destroy programs or delete
data from the phone's hard disc.
This kind of threat could become a problem for micro-payment users
when next generation phone services hit the market, said
Titterington. "The more functionality you have the more vigilant
you have to become," he warned.
Vodafone said it regularly reviews its security measures and will
update them to deal with new threats when necessary.