Viewing pornography on a smartphone or tablet is a potentially risky thrill, a new study has revealed.
Compared to a PC, a user is three times more likely to accidentally download malware when using a mobile device to look up x-rated material.
The report by Blue Coat, a web security and optimization company, also says that nearly one-quarter of malware on phones and tablets comes from visits to porn sites.
Most people now use mobile devices as personal computers that they take everywhere for communication, information and entertainment.
This study, reported by CNNMoney, claims that prurient browsing on phones is not that common - less than 1 percent of all mobile traffic is to pornographic destinations.
Yet the report also states that porn has led to more malware on smartphones and tablets than e-mail spam, malicious websites, and fake apps put together.
'When you delve into the world of online pornography, you don't often know where you are, or where the content is coming from,' said Hugh Thompson, Blue Coat's chief security strategist.
'But when you're visiting those sites, you are more inclined to make riskier choices than elsewhere on the Web,' Mr Thomson warned.
Blue Coat claim that a major part of the problem is the way URLs are displayed on a phone browser, which makes it more difficult for users to tell if the site is legitimate or malicious.
Spam is not the major offender. A report by web security company Blue Coat states that porn has led to more malware on smartphones than spam, malicious websites, and fake apps put together
Unlike on a PC or a desktop computer, for example, there is no way to hover over and preview a link for warning signs.
Mr Thomson continued: 'No matter how tantalizing a link might look on a desktop, there are cues that you shouldn't go there, such as an address that just doesn't look safe.
'When you click a link on a mobile phone, it's harder to know what form of Russian roulette they're playing,' the online expert added.
Unfortunately, the problem of cyber-criminals attacking online devices is about to get worse.
According to CNNMoney, experts have predicted that 2013 will be the year that smartphones become a major target for online thieves as increasing numbers of people use mobile devices to make financial transactions.
