Forty-nine million people can now tap into the Internet by cell phone and that number is expected to double in the next year, but these so-called smart phones may not be very smart when it comes to viruses. As consumer specialist Ric Romero found out, these cell phones can be infected just like computers. Yes, a virus could target your cell phone, but there are ways to protect your phone from getting infected. Mark Copeland, a cell phone user, recently got a new cell phone and it is loaded. His cell phone has Internet, email and it can even link wirelessly to his laptop. One other thing it can do is catch a virus. Copland says, "I've never thought about a computer virus affecting my phone." But he should, especially if he downloads documents, pictures or music. Symantec spokesperson Sarah Hicks says, "We're starting to see an increased amount of these sorts of malware hit cell phones and wireless PDA's." Cell viruses are often disguised as free games. They are very appealing to teens and young adults, but they can damage your phone. Hicks says that the damage can be anything from just altering some of the settings to actually stopping the operation of the device and stealing information. Even draining your minutes, making long distance calls at your expense. Many smart phones have built-in safety that computers don't. But smart phones are vulnerable, even more so when they use Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth allows people to use a wireless earpiece or to beam phone numbers between a pnone and computer. Joe Farren with CTIA-The Wireless Association says, "Sometimes viruses can travel through the Bluetooth. So what we advise is people turn off their Bluetooth technology when their device is not talking with another device." But most people don't. When Mark Copland's computer searched for his phone's wireless connection, it also found another cell phone not far away. That can be an open door for a virus. "Subscribers should still take the same precautions with their wireless phone as they do with their PC," says Farren. If you access e-mail on your cell, be wary. "Don't open attachments from people you don't know. Only download content from trusted sources," says Hicks. Many anti-virus companies are now offering software to protect wireless devices. Incidentally, if you are a Blackberry user, you will be pleased to know they are difficult to infect. While they can read e-mail, they can't download programs and that is how most viruses are delivered.