The expert does not recommend mindlessly giving apps access to the functions of the smartphone
Each of us has a mobile device with a set of different programs for its intended purpose. When installing the application, we perceive requests for access permissions as a kind of routine and, without reading the message text, we confirm them. It turns out that this stage of installation is very important and experts warn against thoughtlessly granting access to some of the gadget's options.
The leading IT expert of the Academy of Financial and Investment Management, Gennady Nikolaev, said in an interview with journalists that not all mobile applications can allow access to location, contacts, microphone, camera and memory. Software developers are often interested in obtaining information about users for advertising purposes.
But this is not the worst thing – it is much more dangerous that information through applications can get to scammers who use it for criminal purposes. The expert explained that in the world of BigData, any information that can bring at least some profit to its owner is valued.
Banks often use information about the location of smartphone owners obtained through applications to determine the optimal locations for installing ATMs and terminals. There are also companies that collect data in order to resell it and make a profit. They are not too picky about customers and will not hesitate to pass information about you to cybercriminals.
Especially dangerous from this point of view are applications released by unknown developers. When installing them, you need to carefully ensure that the developers ' requests correspond to the functionality of the programs themselves. In other words, if you install the game "Tetris", you should be alerted by the fact that the authors of the program ask for access to geolocation, phone book and camera. Gennady Nikolaev warns:
You don't want to grant access to your contacts. With its help, attackers can take over not only the phone numbers and email addresses of your relatives and friends, but also get information about your social media accounts. Needless to say, by allowing the use of the camera, you give someone the opportunity to take pictures and record videos without your knowledge, and having control of the microphone, criminals can listen not only to phone conversations and just your conversations.
Access to memory in general opens up the widest opportunities for fraudsters – they can use all the files located on the device as they please. This is often used to blackmail or encrypt information and demand money for unlocking it.
At the end of the conversation, Gennady Nikolaev noted that downloading applications from the official app stores App Store and Google Play, users are less at risk. All applications presented by these services are thoroughly tested and, as a rule, do not require any extra permissions during installation.
Modern developers can also offer special applications-firewalls that do not allow unauthorized access to data from outside. For those who are particularly secretive, there is also a program that does not allow you to peek into your smartphone on public transport and on the street.
Keywords: Phone | Technology | Camera | Fraud | Mobile apps | Smartphones