HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Internet security firm Bkav discovered spyware that can infect computers from smartphones.

Disguised as an application to free up memory, such as DroidCleaner or SuperClean, the malware programme downloads command codes to infect computers. When users connect their smartphones to computers and turn on the autorun system or click on files, the virus spreads to the computer.

The malware specifically targets voice chat software such as Skype and Yahoo Messenger in order to record conversations and send them to hackers.

"Viet Nam now has about 17 million smartphone users," said Vu Ngoc Son, deputy director of Bkav's research and development section. "When mobile phones and computers are connected, the risk of a virus spreading between the two devices is high."

The company's experts said that charging mobile phones via computer might also be dangerous and recommended installing anti-virus software on both mobile phones and computers.

In October, 2,548 new viruses appeared in Viet Nam, infecting more than 4.3 million computers. As many as 504 websites of state agencies and enterprises were hacked, with seven attacked by local hackers and 497 by foreign ones.

Computer viruses cause a loss of nearly VND8 billion (US$381,000) each year, according to Bkav. — VNS