London, Nov 24 (IANS): One in six smartphone users in the world have fallen prey to a cyber attack, reveals a new study, adding that 60 percent of smartphone users and almost half of tablet users are vulnerable to hacking as these devices have no protection against malicious software.

According to the findings by global information services firm Experian, the cyber attacks range from phishing emails to session hijacking attacks where a user’s web browsing is interrupted by a hacker, monitored or even hijacked.

“The rapid rise in demand for online banking and retail combined with very little security on devices has created a massive opportunity for cyber criminals leaving many people and businesses extremely vulnerable,” lead researcher Ori Eisen from Experian was quoted as saying in a Yorkshire Post report.

Several smartphone and tablet devices have no protection against “malware” at a time when most people are using phones for internet banking and online shopping.

Smartphone owners are dimly aware that their expensive devices could be targeted by mobile malware, the study noted.

When it comes to the world of mobile malware, earlier research has shown that the Android platform has become top attack vector for cybercriminals.

A recent report from Finland-based F-Secure Labs found that Android-targeted mobile malware samples accounted for 97 percent of all the new threats that emerged last year.