Mobile phones are vulnerable to botnets

The team is set to release a report that identifies botnets as posing a significant threat to consumers.

The nefarious zombie nets are typically utilised to carry out denial of service attacks and shut down servers with an overwhelming wave of traffic.

"This is the perfect platform (for hackers)," said Patrick Traynor, an assistant professor of computer science at Georgia Tech and a contributor to its Emerging Cyber Threats report.

Indeed, most devices currently offer little more than substandard security protection. In addition, antivirus software, while effective, would rapidly drain massive amounts of battery life.

It should be noted that mobile operators maintain tight control over their networks, which could potentially facilitate a quick shut down of infected phones. As such, hackers may be forced to adapt their tactics to avoid detection.

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