All Things Digital (AllThingsD) has reported that Lookout Mobile Security has recently identified a new mobile phone threat which attacks mobiles running the Android OS. Nick-named Geinimi, the mobile phone malware has appeared in China and is capable of digesting a large amount of personal data before sending it on to remote servers.

According to Lookout, Geinimi is the most sophisticated piece of wireless malware it has ever seen, using programmes which can be acquired through Chinese app stores to spread itself.

“Geinimi is effectively being ‘grafted’ onto repackaged versions of legitimate applications, primarily games, and distributed in third-party Chinese Android app markets,” Lookout says. “The affected applications request extensive permissions over and above the set that is requested by their legitimate original versions.”

Lookout also says that it has already updated both free and paid-for versions of its anti-malware software to help mobile phone owners protect themselves against Geinimi and other types of mobile malware.

While this particular Trojan is not currently affecting the UK mobile phone market, it is important to note that it could if we are not careful. Often we forget that our smartphones are, in essence, mobile computing devices which are just as vulnerable to attack as our personal computers. It is always wise to take precautions against mobile malware and be prudent about the things you decide to download onto your phone.