Garda are warning people who access online bank accounts from their mobile phones that their private information may be at risk.

Vast amounts of personal data are now being stored on mobile devices including financial information, personal photographs and even location history.

Gardai have now warned that this information is of major interest to cybercriminals.

The Garda Cyber Crime Bureau are advising phone-users that passwords on online bank accounts may be at risk if their phone is subjected to a malware attack.

Sensitive business information or transactions can be compromised by targeted attacks on unsecured devices.

Irish people use their smartphone for internet activity more than any other western country; we use it a whopping 33pc more than people in Europe and 25pc more than people in the UK.

The Garda Cyber Crime Bureau is advising mobile device users to take the following three steps:

• Only install apps from a trusted source, if your bank or financial institution has an official app – Use It

• Ensure your mobile device software is up to date and remember ‘Jailbreaking’ or ‘Rooting’ a device seriously compromises its security

• Make sure you have a recent Back Up of your device, as an attack may render it useless, resulting in the loss of all your contacts, personal photos and files

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