A new Trojan virus affecting Android smartphones reportedly records and stores personal conversations. It's a step up from previous Trojans of this variety, which to this point have only recorded text-based information.

The smartphone virus' existence was recently discovered by researchers at CA Technologies, who report that the Trojan is significantly more threatening than previous malicious software of this kind affecting mobile devices.

In the past, Trojans like this were able to note how long a call lasted, who was involved in a conversation, and was able to record text messages. (Source: msn.com)

Whole Phone Conversations Reportedly Recorded

In this case, the virus convinces users into installing what they believe is a useful Android app. It then goes about spying on users by recording phone conversations as audio files on the connected SD card.

The recorded phone calls are reportedly saved into the directory "shangzou/callrecord," though it's unclear what happens to the data, if anything. CA Technologies hasn't yet revealed whether the recorded calls are sent anywhere for listening and exploitation.

App Download Vigilance Encouraged

Experts are warning Android users to be extremely careful of what they install on their smartphones. It's recommended to download only apps that receive lots of fanfare and reviews, and stay aware from those less proven options. In most cases, the apps with the least reviews are typically those that pose the greatest risk to users.

In the past, Google has been vigilant about preventing malicious apps from reaching the market. In March it deleted a few dozen applications found to be little more than malware, and in June it nixed ten Angry Birds-related apps with equally suspicious intentions. (Source: venturebeat.com)