
Mobile apps are becoming prevalent as they facilitate access to everything from communication, entertainment, banking, and more. Since most of them are free, some of these apps involve potential trade-offs, especially on your security and privacy.
Below are some practices that we recommend you do before using mobile apps:
Be mindful of app permissions.
An app asking for access to data that isn't relevant to its function is a major red flag. For example, do gaming apps need to access your contacts? You might also want to review permissions given to the apps already installed in your phone via “Settings” app.
Research the app or company.
Did the companies that produced these apps suffer from recent data breaches or been involved in controversies about privacy? If yes, then it might be idea to avoid these apps.
Read its Privacy Clause.
Does the app's privacy clause indicate your personal information to be forwarded to 3rd parties for advertisement purposes? It is your right to know how these apps will process your personal information. Make sure the privacy conditions are amenable to you.
Limit information exposure.
You don’t need to put every of your personal information on such as a complete address, professional history, relatives, etc. publicly. Doing so will have you susceptible to cyber fraud and identity theft.
Do not download apps outside Google or Apple Stores.
Downloading an app from unofficial or insecure sites increases the risk of malware, spyware that can infect your device.
Stay safe, SKY Kapamilya!