Not surprisingly, Peters isn’t the only one with this mindset. About a month ago I was introduced to Marble Security’s AppHawk platform: it was built as an enterprise mobile threat intelligence and defense system that determines which iOS and Android apps send personal and corporate data beyond the enterprise and assesses the risk to the enterprise. Marble Security wanted to extend their platform beyond just enterprise clients though, which is why they launched PrivacyHawk. It’s an Android focused mobile privacy and security app that analyzes and scores apps on your own device to detect dangerous apps. The app shows specifically what personal data these apps access as well as where in the world each app is sending said data. It’s a bit scary, but it’s important because it empowers you to choose which apps to trust and which to delete in order to preserve your personal privacy. Risky apps that violate your privacy may:
Send your entire contact database to servers across the Internet, exposing personal data to advertisers, spammers and criminal networksAccess, read, and mine your email, cloud storage, or social media accountsRead text messages and phone call histories, enabling third parties to socially engineer your profileRead web browser histories, allowing advertisers or attackers to learn where you live, work, and bankAttempt to jailbreak or root mobile devices without your knowledge
According a research post published in Marble Security’s February 2015 Mobile Threat Report, the US accounts for more than 42 percent of the world’s most dangerous mobile apps. They’re not found on shady, third party stores but rather on the trusted App Store and Google Play Market. It might sound a bit ridiculous, but this is a real concern that none of us should take for granted. Lead Image: Wikipedia
