BBC: Android apps 'leak' personal details

[GTaudiophile]

Millions of people are using Android apps that can be tricked into revealing personal data, research indicates.

Scientists tested 13,500 Android apps and found almost 8% failed to protect bank account and social media logins.

These apps failed to implement standard scrambling systems, allowing "man-in-the-middle" attacks to reveal data that passes back and forth when devices communicate with websites.

Google has yet to comment on the research and its findings.

Continued...

 

[Fingolfin269]

I've enjoyed my short foray back into the Android experience thus far but it does seem like the quality of apps is not quite up to par with iOS (tapatalk being one example). Does Google play any role in certifying apps that make it to the Play store? Not that quality necessarily equates to security but I'm generally curious.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Banking and personal login details do not exist on my smartphone, unless you are talking my email, which I don't really give a shit if someone steals.

And no "social media" for me.

 

[Monster_Munch]

Does Google play any role in certifying apps that make it to the Play store? Not that quality necessarily equates to security but I'm generally curious.

Not at all. I've released a few apps on the market and all you have to do is pay the $25 registration fee. You can publish apps whenever you want without any quality control.

Google will take your apps down and disable your publisher account if people report your apps as malicious or copyright infringing.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Its a damn fake wifi hotspot. You shouldn't be connecting to unknown wifi hotspots in the first place.

 

[God Mode]

I don't understand the need for some of the permissions that 3rd party apps require. Google should find a better method for apps supported by AD based revenue and nip these apps in the butt.

 

[vshah]

millions of people using ANY computing device can be tricked into revealing personal data. , common sense indicates.

i agree that android's ssl implementation should have stricter requirements though.