"They are harvesting information from the device - trying to get to your contact lists or the SMS that you have been receiving, your emails, and trying to unload all that information."
Dr Russello has also started a company developing a product to combat widespread smartphone threats.
A report by Roy Morgan last month showed more than a third of Kiwis aged over 14 owned smartphones.
Dr Russello said his product was in the testing stages and would not be available until next year, but users could protect themselves by downloading anti-virus security and only installing apps from safe locations.
He will give a talk on the subject from 7pm tomorrow at the University of Auckland's Large Chemistry Lecture Theatre, at 23 Symonds St.
Soaring data use sign of breach
Apps being painfully slow to launch, wireless internet and bluetooth not connecting and data usage soaring were signs that Nameet Patil's smartphone had been hacked.
The Auckland man's friend gave him the Android phone after she became frustrated with its slowness and inability to function correctly.
"She thought I could fix it for her, but the phone started getting slow, excessively using internet and then the apps started crashing," he said. Mr Patil said there was no evidence personal information had been stolen, but a photo from the phone appeared in a Google search of his name. "I don't know if [information] was stolen, but I had to wipe everything and install a new operating system ..."
Mr Patil said the problems stopped after he upgraded software and installed anti-virus apps.
Security smarts
* Download anti-virus software for your device.
* Only download apps from "safe" locations such as Google Play or iTunes.
* Android phones are targeted more than other operating systems because they comprise 80 per cent of the smartphone market, but that doesn't mean others are immune to attacks.
On the web
www.auckland.ac.nz/vclectures
