New research suggests that seven out of ten people store important data like medical information and bank details on mobile handsets with no safeguards for security.

The survey, which was conducted by security company Juniper Networks, showed that four out of five respondents regard security a priority when choosing a mobile phone.

In an interview with BBC News, Mark Bauhaus, Juniper's executive vice president, said, "We are all living the mobile dream and the next killer app is peace of mind... Mobile phones represent the fastest adopted technology in the history of mankind - faster than video camcorders or the TV. I think the issue of security it hitting us quite quickly."

"As we grow the number of devices, so the bad guys increase and the sophistication of attacks also grow," Bauhaus added.

The security company said that the number of threats to mobiles such as viruses and malwares increased to 250% last year. The study found that about 61% of infections involved spyware, which allows hackers to monitor communication from mobile phones. The research surveyed 6,000 people from 16 countries.