2010 could be the year of the mobile phone hack attack. That’s according to Roel Schouwenberg, a senior malware researcher at Kaspersky Lab Americas. Schouwenberg is making the media rounds this final week of 2009 to present his theory that Google Wave, the iPhone and Android could sustain heavy cyber attacks throughout 2010.

Although Schouwenberg stopped short of blaming unethical mobile marketers for opening the flood gates for some of the issues he raises, Schouwenberg makes it clear that there’s plenty of blame to go around for the vulnerabilities that could be exploited next year.

“The first malicious programs for these mobile platforms appeared in 2009,” says Schouwenberg, “a sure sign that they have aroused the interest of cybercriminals.”

Schouwenberg believes that Google Wave could very well experience the bulk of attention from cyber criminals who will serve up attacks that follow a somewhat predictable pattern: “First, the sending of spam, followed by phishing attacks, then the exploiting of vulnerabilities and the spreading of malware.”

Although software security has become a multi-billion industry, there are more malicious threats facing PCs and mobile devices now than ever. And, regrettably, if Roel Schouwenberg’s predictions ring true in the new year, 2010 will bring with it many attempted security threats – no shortage of which could prove successful in causing the chaos they seek to engender.