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Mobile Apps: About your privacy and security

Although the amount of malware when talking about mobile apps is not that big, VPN of security research at is concerned about the mobile apps “that are sharing information that people aren’t  aware of, or apps that have not been built securely” .

As an example he mentioned the apps that are requesting the passwords for Google Docs, and Dropbox, for the purpose to upload files and store backups with firefox vpn plugin.  The credentials stored in those apps are not securely stored, usually as plain text, which is a BIG security risk.

All this happen, because the businesses are desperate to offer  mobile apps for the masses and building them quickly usually leaves security holes. Just having an app downloaded from an official market doesn’t mean that those apps are securely built or that they have good systems that protect your privacy.

Many European companies fear, that the sensitive data transmitted through public clouds with US may be seized under the U.S. surveillance law.

This Pandora box was opened, when Microsoft UK admitted to reporters that the users of the new Office365 aren’t protected against the Patriot Act even if they are Euro citizens. Because Microsoft’s headquarters reside in the US, any data that is hosted or processed by Microsoft could be intercepted by US authorities under the Patriot Act. So storing your data in the Dublin Datacenter doesn’t mean, that you are out of the US authorities.

“Safe Harbor was a nice idea, but didn’t work” said Dutch Member of European Parliament Sophie in’t Veld, because this Safe Harbor could be overridden by the Patriot Act.

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