How to Secure Data Privacy for your Mobile Apps

Can your data be stolen via apps? Although apps seem to be simple and obedient in delivering the requisite tasks, there could be chances that they can expose your personal information to anyone on the web. Yes, you can be at risk in this regard.

If you use apps extensively, there are possibilities that you can download malicious apps accidentally which can steal your private data. Also, there are chances that reliable applications can be a victim to a data breach resulting in making you vulnerable. In short, ensuring privacy for your mobile apps is significant. 

Listed below are certain statistics which ascertain that data security for your mobile apps are vital.

• The first half of 2021 has shown that 1767 incidents of data breach have been reported which has resulted in exposing 18.6 billion records in total. 
• Up to 38 million people concerned with bank correspondences, financial records, and sensitive financial documents were exposed in the attack of Automatic Funds Transfer Systems.
• In a major data leak, more than 220 million Brazilians got affected due to exposure of personal tax identification numbers, automobile registration numbers, full names, birthdays, and lots more.
• There has been an increase in the average cost of data breaches. In 2021 this had been at its peak in the last 17 years. The trend showed an increase of 3.86 million dollars to 4.24 million dollars. 

While the app developers follow certain guidelines from their end to ensure data security, the users should equally focus on maintaining the protocols to experience data safety. As you can see that data breach is becoming such a big threat, so it is high time that you should be extra careful while using apps. This can definitely enable you to ward off possible attacks. App developers across the globe are continuously striving to make their services ironclad against privacy attacks to keep the users safe most of the time. 

Let us now have a look at some of the tips for your mobile app security

Cautious with App Permissions

While installing most of your apps, you may have experienced a bevy of permissions. They are majorly related to messages, contacts, location, call records, photos, etc. There are apps also which ask for more sensitive details to access all that is being viewed, read, or written. Information pertaining to these is more prone to data breaches. So while providing access or permissions you need to be extra careful about why that information is required. Why are your text messages being accessed by the apps? Why do they need to access your photos? So while permitting your apps their desired access, it is vital that you should be aware of the tasks that are being allowed to the apps. So if your permission list is pretty long you can prepare a checklist about those which you don’t wish to permit. If you find that your apps cannot be used without providing confidential information then there are valid reasons to be suspicious and it would be wise not to move forward with those. 

Reliable App Stores are to be Trusted

The App Store launched by Apple has changed our lives for the better. Google came soon with its own store known as Play Store. You can find many more like Samsung App Store, Windows App Store, etc. From the standpoint of privacy and data security the best option would be to stick to that store that belongs to the world’s most reputed brand. The credentials and quality of apps from not-so-popular stores can be questionable. Getting your apps downloaded from either Google or Apple does guarantee you some security as both follow strict guidelines before publishing any apps on their platforms. The most effective practice would be to do a thorough background check of the publishers and the development company. Data protection in mobile apps is a necessity, hence you must check out the apps’ ratings, read reviews properly and also understand the credibility before downloading. 

Remote Wiping to be Enabled

Maintaining data in case of loss of our phones is a serious concern related to data privacy matters. Remote wiping is indeed an effective feature that you can use to ensure data privacy in case your device gets lost. For example, signing up for an iCloud account is regarded as your primary information center for all data stored in your iPhone. So if you lose your device, just sign in to your account from any other device and just remove the information you wish to. Mobile app development services related to securing your data are gaining prominence with the increase in the number of smartphone users along with the growing popularity and demand of diverse applications. 

Social Sign-in Should not be Automatic

Today is the age of quick services and fast food. We need to do everything within moments. There are many apps that provide the option to sign in using social networking accounts. This definitely saves our time to type the email all over again. But saving those few minutes can be heavy for your future. Assigning in with social media accounts is granting permission to access the information, it could result in the misuse of those data. Contacts, photos, memories can be easily accessed in the process. So without completely trusting the apps, you should not give access to fetch your social media information 

Updating Apps

Apps which you use regularly and trust blindly can have bugs in them which can lead to loss of your data and privacy. Reputed app development companies constantly try to remove those errors as soon as they detect them. It would be prudent to delete apps that are not used much. Installing apps on your devices in spite of not using those can make your phones prone to threat.

How we at Red Apple Ensure your Data Security

Being in the industry of app and game development for more than a decade has made us equipped with the knowledge of online security and threat. As we have worked globally with both startups and enterprises, the aspect of providing security measures to the users/players is of utmost importance to us. Our developers and testers are skilled enough to make sure that the applications you use are free from the danger of stealing your privacy. Based on the scope of your business maybe we have created solutions that require your personal info, but definitely, our services are reputed not to tamper with your confidential details. We offer customized mobile app development services to make our solutions distinctive in creating trends and establishing benchmarks in terms of mobile security and threat prevention. 

Hope the above-mentioned points are comprehensive enough to give you a clear idea about why you need to trust your mobile apps and how you can ensure safety while using those. Definitely, you need apps today either for your business needs or even to meet your aspirations like traveling, playing games, reading books, or watching movies. But all apps may not be safe for your online security. So if you follow the above-mentioned steps then it would be convenient for you not to get trapped digitally. 

Conclusion: So what are your thoughts on this topic? Feel free to add your opinions or share your experience so that today’s users become more aware. Last but not the least, you need to update yourself technically by reading journals or blogs so that you do not trust any source blindly-be it, app publishers or developers.