Haloween is upon us, but some scares are with us throughout the year. As mobile application security threats take on serious proportions, companies should explore the issues and risks involved for users and enterprises.After all, every week in the news we hear about dozens of tremendously dangerous new vulnerabilities and exploits.
It’s essential to make users aware of issues around mobile applications. Some of these are:
- Mobile pick-pocketing: Malware and apps indulge in petty financial fraud such as the generation of premium SMSs and premium phone-calls without user intervention or approval.
- Stealing of personal information: Theft of information like contacts, SMSs and media files is widespread, especially on open platforms. A huge market exists for such databases.
- Spyware: Smartphones have features like cameras, microphones and GPS tracking. Several apps allow these features to be activated remotely without the user’s knowledge.
- Identity theft: This involves spoofing a phone’s parameters and details. With phones being used as a factor for authentication, this can have serious repercussions. India has already seen such cases.
- Mobile botnets / relays: Smartphones with powerful 2G/3G/4G connections can be used as nodes and relays in a botnet. These can be used to generate spam or launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
- Corporate espionage: With BYOD’s advent, phones carry sensitive corporate information. Leakage of such data makes it the biggest threat to enterprises.
- Access to app data and app user data: Attention needs to be given to how applications use and store data. Securing this information is essential to your privacy.
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