For the rest of us, that means having up-to-date security software and malware protection. But with the popularity of smartphones such as the BlackBerry and Apple iPhone 3G on the rise, it may be time for consumers to start thinking about securing these devices as much as their desktops and laptops.

According to the latest Mobile Market View, a consumer study of U.S. mobile phone users conducted by The Kelsey Group with research partner ConStat, almost 19 percent of mobile users now use a smartphone. Among those surveyed, more than 49 percent plan to purchase an advanced mobile device in the next two years. The survey was conducted in October and included responses from 512 mobile phone users aged 18 and older.

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While security vendors have been sounding the alarm around mobile malware for some time, the idea of a massive mobile malware attack has lived largely in the realm of the theoretical. Compared with the threats to PCs, the amount of malware in the wild targeting mobile devices remains relatively small.

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