A CYBER expert has revealed the warning signs that your iPhone and Android apps might be gobbling up your private information.
It’s easy to root out these rogue apps if you know the warning signs.
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A leading cyber expert exclusively revealed the iPhone and Android warning signs to The U.S. Sun.
Dr Klaus Schenk, vice president of security at Verimatrix, said there are several red flags that you might spot.
By looking out for them, you can prevent an app from seeing parts of your private life that it shouldn’t.
The first is when an app starts using your camera, microphone, or location seemingly without good reason.
“The GPS or camera indicator is on when you do not expect it to be on,” Dr. Schenk revealed.
“This could indicate that the app is using these features without your permission or knowledge.”
On recent versions of iOS or Android, you’ll see a dot or icon on the status bar when an app is using your camera, microphone, or location.
Some apps need access to private parts of your phone.
For instance, WhatsApp needs microphone access for voice notes and Google Maps will use your location to help you get around.
But if an app is using your phone permissions in a strange way, that could be worrying.
Thankfully you can check for this, which brings Dr. Schenk on to his second warning sign.
“The list of requested access rights does not match the use-case activities of the app,” Dr. Schenk said.
“If an app asks for access to features that are not necessary for its function, it may be a sign that the app is abusing security permissions.”
If you go into your phone privacy settings, you’ll be able to check the list of permissions that each app has.
Then you can deny any permissions that you think are suspicious.
You could also delete an app altogether if you think it’s definitely spying on you.
The third warning sign that you need to look out for is a big change to your battery life.
“There is extended battery consumption after installation of the compromised app,” Dr. Schenk said.
“Which could indicate that the app is running in the background and using up resources.”
Significant battery drain isn’t necessarily a guarantee that an app is criminal.
But it can be a warning sign, particularly if it’s a “light” app that is seriously draining your juice.
Check in your battery settings to see which apps are using up the most power in the background.
It could mean that crooks have designed it to carry out some kind of criminal behavior in the background.
Even if the app isn’t dangerous, it might still be a good idea to delete it to preserve your battery.
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