Avast: Smartphone owners are too careless about security

Smartphone users face a growing list of security problems, and many of them are simply ignoring the risks, according to a recent study completed by security company Avast.

Men are more likely than women to face vulnerabilities on their smartphones, 36 percent compared to 32 percent, with more than one-third surveyed saying they don't use any type of anti-theft or security software.

"The findings suggest an ongoing disconnect people have with their phone and computer when it comes to security protection," Avast said in a blog post. "Many smartphone users have not yet grown accustomed to thinking of their devices as small computers that store valuable, sensitive, and often priceless data. One can now perform the same functions on their phone as the trust PC or laptop, but the majority of people are still learning about the necessary to protect their phones from viruses and hacking."

The survey also found that users believe their passwords (79 percent), contacts (74 percent), emails (66 percent), photos/videos (57 percent), calls and text messages (50 percent) are most important.

Also, users tend to use their devices for voice calls, text messaging, browsing the Internet, email, and social media - with 80 percent of respondents saying they access the Internet via subscriber data plan, while 40 percent use public Wi-Fi access.