ABI Research has released a new Mobile Device Security study which anticipates that the number of smartphones protected by advanced security software will increase fivefold over the next five years. Future handsets, the research firm finds, will come pre-loaded with anti-virus software clients to prevent the loss of data and services to malware.

"Although malware has been seen in mobile handsets, in the past it has not done much damage," says ABI Research vice president Stan Schatt. "But smartphones have access to more sensitive data every year, and security must be tightened to prevent the theft or loss of important business information."

The ABI Research report can be found here.