Beware of Mobile Apps
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Often you will find emails and messages from top companies claiming "The features are better in our mobile apps."
I always get emails from my credit card company writing, "Use our mobile apps, and unlock more features at your fingertip."
I also get emails from LinkedIn, the cryptocurrency wallet service providers, and exchanges for using their mobile apps.
Some cryptocurrency wallet service providers and most cryptocurrency exchanges haven't yet created their web apps.
They are forcing people to use their mobile-only apps to use their features.
There must be some reasons for their promoting mobile apps.
Do you know why companies are continually requesting you to download and install their mobile apps?
Maybe, a few features they haven't provided on the web portals via web apps, which they bundle into the mobile apps.
As I mentioned in the previous section most cryptocurrency wallet service providers and exchanges don't have their full-featured web apps.
But what is the reason for not giving all the features on the web app or the web portal?
The actual reason is that the companies want to get access to your mobile device, microphone, camera, and data content.
They can collect our private data from mobile devices through the built-in data collection funnels of mobile apps.
These companies and cryptocurrency startups are easily harvesting the users' private data from the devices!
This includes authentic apps of the companies downloaded from reliable mobile app stores like Apple's and Google's mobile app stores.
If you prioritize security over convenience, follow these steps.
Try to minimize the use of mobile apps in your day-to-day activities.
Uninstall the mobile apps you don't need.
Deactivate the credit card and banking mobile apps when not in use.
If you have to use mobile apps for banking and cryptocurrency transactions while traveling, reactivate the particular app when necessary, and deactivate it immediately after the completion of the transaction.
It is implied that you can't recover the private data already collected/harvested at the time of installation of the mobile apps, but this would safeguard your device from continuous penetration by the apps.
<> Originally published on LinkedIn.
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About me
I am a researcher and contribute to the overlapping areas of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). I am an active user and promoter of GNU/Linux, Free and Open Source Software. I develop cybersecurity and information security solutions, specifically graphical authentication security.
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Unity at ReadCash (Debesh Choudhury)
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#smartphone #apps #data #harvesting #funnel
Oct 13, 2023
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This is good to know. I guess, not allowing these apps to run on the background would also help. Another disadvantage is, these app will take up more storage space.