The reason, Professor Schmidt said, is that whilst you can walk into any computer store and buy an IT security package for your desktop computer, laptop or netbook, you cannot easily buy a similar application for the latest generation of smartphones.

Holding an Apple iPhone in one hand and a RIM Blackberry in the other, Professor Schmidt added that there is also the problem that no-one truly appears to be vetting the bulk of the applications being made available for smartphones.

"Sure, the app stores for the iPhone and the Blackberry are monitored and approved, but no-one is actually checking the code of many of these applications for security flaws, is the case with most PC or Mac applications," he said.

Professor Schmidt went on to say that, against this backdrop, there is a clear need for more positive vetting of smartphone applications, as they offer a backdoor for criminals and hackers into a company resource, especially since they are usually equipped for communication on multiple channels, including cellular, Bluetooth and WiFi.