Cyber criminals are beginning to devise ways to break into smartphones, an increasingly juicy source of personal information. Until recently, phones weren’t seen as worth hacking because they contained so little data, but as more and more people carry pocket-size PCs like the iPhone, the likelihood increases that hackers will try—and eventually succeed—in breaking in, experts tell the Independent.
For now, the waters are mostly safe. “We’re probably where PCs were ten years ago,” says one cybersecurity guru. “But at some point soon someone will develop a killer application that is very successful at hacking into phones and all the bad guys will take notice.” A recent study concluded that 60% of smartphones contain sensitive data, like bank log-in info, but only 7% have any protective software. (More hackers stories.)