Smartphones at risk of hacking in ME
 

DUBAI: Smartphone users in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East and Africa region are in danger of having their bank, email and social media accounts hacked, amid reports that some 178 million mobile devices are **w potentially vulnerable.

Network security company Palo Alto Networks an**unced on Tuesday that there are security risks in the internal storage used by applications on Google Android devices. The company said that nearly all, or 94 per cent, of the popular Android applications are at risk.

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is home to 524.8 million mobile users. It is estimated that the security threat puts more than 178 million devices in danger within the region.

Android is Google’s mobile operating system that is installed on most smartphones and tablets, to enable consumers to watch videos, search for information or send emails on their phone. Android phones also let users download applications that provide easy access to social media, as well as their personal bank accounts.