A poll by McAfee revealed that while only 2.1% of respondents have ever encountered a virus on their handset and the vast majority had never heard of anyone getting a mobile phone virus, nearly three-quarters of mobile phone users in developed countries are worried about security on their handsets.
The poll, based on 2,000 people in Britain, the United States and Japan, was released at the Mobile World Congress, one of the mobile phone industry"s biggest trade shows. Network operators are hoping that consumers increasingly use their phones to access the Internet, download applications and make transactions, meaning security and protection are set to become big issues for the industry.
The latest research from McAfee shows that the majority of consumers are concerned about the security of their mobile handsets. The McAfee Mobile Security Report 2008 indicates:
* More than 86 percent of consumers worry about receiving inappropriate or unsolicited content, fraudulent bill increases, or information loss or theft.
* More than 72 percent of users expressed concerns regarding the safety of using emerging mobile services.
* Nearly 14 percent of global mobile users have been directly infected or have known someone who was infected by a mobile virus.