Just because “there’s an app for that” doesn’t mean you’re safe downloading it!
Apps are game changers. They’re life hacks for easier and more productive daily task performance. With millions of apps present in both Google Play and Apple Stores, it is safe to say that there’s an app for almost everything a person needs.
However, it’s undeniable that some of these apps have security issues and vulnerabilities untold, and some are even used to maneuver hacking attacks.
As an app fanatic, be extra careful in pursuing the things you love!
ALWAYS SPOT THE FAKE APPS
Hackers exploit the popularity of apps among millions of users worldwide by creating and publishing impostor applications on Google Play, Apple App Store, and other app markets.
You thought you were one step ahead of hackers by installing a security tool on your computer and mobile. But it turns out, you actually aren’t!
An example is last month’s viral discovery of 32 fake malware-filled apps for Google Mobile OS. These android apps were found to ask for excessive permissions in order to spy on victims, access tracking locations and use the camera covertly. Through this, hackers could read information about users’ contacts and also secretly make phone calls.
The news further explained that such apps had one thing in common – they were about the popular online game — Fortnite. And this threat has been the focus of a recent study by Top10VPN.
Our biggest concerns relate to the excessive permissions. We found apps that can be used to spy on people by tracking location, reading contacts, using the camera – even secretly making phone calls. None of these permissions are present in the official Fortnite
Luckily, catching these fake apps isn’t rocket science.
Below are some reliable ways to spot these poseurs, and what you can do to safeguard yourself.
1. Double check the developer’s name.
Before you download an app, ensure the developer’s name comes from a reputable company or someone you recognize. Check the spellings. Remember: some hackers also use similar names as the trusted ones. Although it doesn’t guarantee total security, doing so can help you stay away from vicious authors.
The image above is a possible pitfall to a security breach if left unnoticed.
2. Beware bad grammar and typos.
Many fake apps are created hastily by non-native English speaking developers. A poorly written app description could be an indication of a phony app, so you’d better read it thoroughly.
3. Check the reviews all the time.
Reviews are made purposively. Generally, an app with more reviews means a legit one. Make sure to check both sides of the opinion coin and read the negative reviews first before the 5-star ones. Why? Users who read those bad app reviews first would know the reason behind negative feedback and then can use this knowledge to make smarter decisions. Yet, always take note that reviews can be easily bought.
4. Shopping discounts? On apps? A big no-no!
That’s a massive red flag! Any similar offers from apps promising instant shortcuts and discounts are just too good to be true. Designers are businessmen, and while some major companies can offer free apps, there’s always a cost even if it is “just” the presence of ads.
5. Go directly to the app’s official website.
For a quick solution, download the app straight from the company’s website.
6. Always verify permission requests.
Learn to deny permissions to an app asking for access to all data on your device and the websites you visit. Check if the permissions requested are relevant to the apps’ nature of service. You wouldn’t want some random hacker savoring your private images and data just because you were reckless about permissions. So, take time to read meticulously what you are about to give.
Be especially careful with any app that asks for the administrator permission, as this gives the app the ability to do really nasty stuff like change your password, encrypt your storage and make itself undeletable.
7. Read the user’s agreement and privacy policy.
It may seem a tedious process, but it’s the optimal way to find the real intention of an app and the purpose of all its demands.
8. Research before you download.
Researching takes up time and is sometimes inconvenient but it saves privacy and security, nonetheless. There are many apps that do not belong to well-known developers, though, that are legitimate as well. The only way to still enjoy what other developers can offer—especially those from virtuous new developers—is to check their past apps and review what online forums are saying.
9. Watch out for free apps.
People love anything that is free and that’s the reason behind the growing billions of app users worldwide. But did you know that some free apps do rubbish acts like collecting data more than what you thought you’ve allowed? This is the biggest reason why everyone should check permission requests as written earlier. Your personal information becomes the product hackers and scammers sell to the darknet when you don’t check the permission requests.
Conclusion
We live in a world full of wonders: good and bad. Though the latter may crunch our passion and enthusiasm on the marvels of technology, it doesn’t have to be bad enough to stop us from keeping on top of it.
Cybercriminals may try to take advantage of people’s weaknesses. But the good thing is, companies are prompt in coming up with the best solutions for security risks.
At Flint Technologies Solutions,we understand that the weakest link in the security chain is among the people using it. Nevertheless, Our goal is to help you do business better and at the same time live your tech life better, so we prepared cybersecurity measures such as app protection, hybrid walls, multi-factor security authentication, data encryption, cloud backup, etc. to help you protect yourself and your business’ information.
Yes, there are millions of legitimate apps out there and I know you’ve been using two or more. That’s great! As long as you apply all the lessons you’ve learned above, you’re ahead of the safety curve.
“Facebook on Friday said an attack on its computer network led to the exposure of information from nearly 50 million of its users. The company discovered the breach earlier this week, finding that attackers had exploited a feature in Facebook’s code that allowed them to take over user accounts. Facebook fixed the vulnerability and notified law enforcement officials.”
These breaches aren’t a surprise anymore. Literally almost every week we learn of some major company, some million (billion!) dollar firm which, despite its amazing assets, has had its security breached, and the information of trusted clients/users compromised.
Stop thinking it can’t happen to you, stop thinking your company is too small to attract attention. The simple fact is that if a billion dollar company, with literal MOUNDS of money devoted to security can be hacked, you stand little chance against the actors involved.
Unless you employ a team of certified and experienced defense professionals, who are backed by a billion dollar company, but free to implement the newest safeguards without the fear of responding to stockholders. You need a team committed to not only detection and defense, but also backup and renewal.
Since most breaches influence companies for months before detection, and once your information is compromised it becomes truly life-changing to reset your information and recover (if you can) your identity and that of the clients who trusted you, the key lies in early detection, segregation, and elimination.
Dave’s business grew quickly when he started a website and did digital marketing. And added an e-commerce option so that his customers could pay online. Dave’s family was so proud of him, and Dave was very happy.
Then one day Dave’s customer reported that her credit card had been charged for a trip to the beach that she never took. Another customer who lives in New York was charged for dinner in Colorado. After several more customers reported mysterious charges, an investigation was started which revealed that Dave’s e-commerce system had been hacked. Many people’s identities were stolen, and nobody trusted Dave anymore. Dave became very sad.
Now, Dave works for his cousin Wilbur, and cousin Wilbur is…difficult.
Don’t get stuck working for cousin Wilbur. Leverage Managed Cybersecurity and have someone constantly checking to see if your security is up to date, if there have been any breaches, if there are any weak points that need to be made stronger, and ready to respond immediately if something does happen in order to segregate the problem, minimize the damage, and restore your system to health. Managed security backs up your data too, so not even a fire will cause you permanent loss.
Take the Flint Tech Solutions Cyber-Assurance Package for a 30-day free trial, and rather than being stuck with him, have a great relationship with Wilbur since you’ll only be around each other for visits. 😉
At the end of this piece, I’m going to make a security offer to you, and you’re going to want it. You’ll click on this link to get it. Watch; you’ll see. First though, about your kids…
As a parent, I’m confident that you take your kid (kids) to the doctor for regular checkups to prevent any harmful conditions or diseases from hurting them. You also take them to the dentist so that they can keep their teeth cleaned (preventing the buildup of dirty, stinky plaque) and in case a cavity starts to form the dentist can take care of it before the pain of it brings your kid to tears. Hopefully, you’re visiting the dr. regularly for your own health, too. So here’s the way things typically go;
You…
Take the kids to the doctor for checkups and preventative measures and if needed, treatment.
Take the kids to the dentist for checkups and preventative measures and if needed, treatment.
Take yourself to the doctor and the dentist for preventative measures and if needed, treatment.
but then you…
Completely ignore the cyberhealth of your team’s network because it would cost money to keep it healthy, and besides, the system isn’t coughing, so it must be healthy, right?
You can’t tell if certain diseases hit your bloodstream unless you visit the doctor because they work quietly in the darkness until the damage is significant. Sometimes, horrible things escape our notice for a while.
Remember the frightening number of stories about families and individuals being spied on by a landlord or in a motel and how long these individuals got away with it?
Even governments spy and are spied upon for long periods of time before the breach is discovered.
Are you being spied upon by something beneath the surface?
Verizon commissioned the “2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, 11th edition”, a report so shocking it made our whole team do a doubletake when we read it. One of the stunning revelations was that 68% of breaches were discovered months or years after the initial compromise.
68% of breaches were discovered months or years after the initial compromise.
MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER!
That’s a long time for a parasite to be buried beneath the surface, wreaking havoc without anyone knowing. Hackers don’t tend to install flash script to announce their arrival. You wouldn’t know when they breached your system until the damage was significant.
The Verizon report unearthed that most breaches are discovered by a 3rd party. As the doctor finds your illness and prevents worse, a cybersecurity manager would find your cyber illness and prevent worse. There is another 3rd party too, one that you absolutely do not want to be the party who discovers your breach; your clients. Even worse, the media.
There’s a high cost to doing nothing.
There’s a high cost to your physical health from doing nothing. There’s a high cost for your cyberhealth from doing nothing, and it affects more people than just you. Cyberhealth absolutely requires
preventative medicine
regular checkups
updated vaccinations
Scary enough, the Verizon report also revealed that the top external actor (perpetrator) group in breaches is organized crime! The top internal actor group in breaches is your system administrator! Who protects you?
Email breaches remain among the chief inroads of disease vectors into your system, and the Verizon report exposed the sad fact that people who experience a breach due to clicking on a phishing email tend to continue clicking on phishing emails! Does this describe you, or does it describe your team members?
It certainly describes someone in your organization.
Now the encouraging news; we have an opportunity for you to examine your cyberhealth now, and apply the practices you need to stay healthy. We want to help you be as vigorous as you can be, so like when doctors offer free clinics, we’re offering you a 30-day free trial of some very good medicine.
The Flint Tech Solutions Information Protection Package is yours free for 30 days when you sign a managed solutions agreement with us. If at the end of that 30 days you don’t believe our health plan has improved your cyberhealth in guarding your email, you can end the agreement without penalty and see if you can find support elsewhere.
Your Flint Tech Solutions Information Protection Package includes 24/7 personal protection management of your email system (no, we don’t read your emails or documents like the free services do, we just make sure they get to their destination safely), and;
Real-time protection
Holistic protection and trials of the amazing collaborative tool Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Sharepoint Online, and OneDrive for Business.
Safe Attachments utilizes advanced machine learning to protect you in real time by preventing malicious attachments from impacting your messaging environment, even if their signatures are not known! It isolates and examines attachments before sending them to recipients, nice and clean.
Exchange Online Protection protects your environment when users click on links by instantly examining the URL in real time, and either warning you of a risk in visiting, or blocking it entirely. Reporting allows you to see which users clicked a link and when they did it!
Rich reporting gives you critical insights into who is being targeted in your company, what types of attacks you’re facing, and the ability to trace and report malicious links.
Use this service to defeat malware, assure compliances, for data loss protection, and dress your server in armor!
This is a powerful and amazing package under the direction of Flint Tech Solutions CISSP Brian Rupp, and we’re happy to offer it to you for 30 days at no cost to you! Simply click HERE to start your free trial!
Update; we’ve decided to add something to our giveaway that you can get, and keep forever. Microsoft provided us with a fantastic Whitepaper on Shadow IT. In a nutshell, Shadow IT happens when you or your team tweak your device with any unauthorized piece of software, whether that software adds value or not. That’s the tricky part; if you don’t know what apps are being added to your carefully crafted system, you can’t know what they’re affecting, what data they’re moving, if your security covers their actions…nothing!
You can have this whitepaper just for clicking through, ’cause we truly do appreciate your time, and want to see you in control of your business from top to bottom!
Did you know…?
Managed Services are the best way to control spending in your company. The pains you’re feeling now over trying to handle all aspects of your daily business, like cybersecurity, operating systems, compliance, upgrades, relocations, and expansions, can drain your finances, morale, and the time you have available for your customers and the healthy growth you need.
It’s almost certain that you have spent money you didn’t need to spend, and lost growth you should have gained because you were spending time and resources in an area that was not the right use of your team.
Let Flint support you in handling ongoing services and special projects. We have the specialists you need to do it right the first time, do it efficiently, and without interrupting your business. Our managed cybersecurity solutions guard your business 24/7, and can effectively lower your overall costs of operation!
There’s a high cost to doing nothing. Don’t pay that price. Do something. Do business better. Ask us how.
Brian Rupp, CISSP to lead Flint Tech Solutions cybersecurity division
Wexford PA— Sept. 5, 2018 — Today, Flint Tech Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment ofBrian Rupp, CISSP, Certified Information Systems Security Professional!
“Brian is an awesome gain for our company,” said Kenneth Barrett, CEO at Flint Tech Solutions.
Positive Customer Impact
Flint Tech clients will benefit greatly from Mr. Rupp’s extensive background in developing and perfecting approaches to military, state, and private sector cybersecurity. His commitment to excellence as a leading figure in the security field tremendously elevates Flint’s ability to provide cyber and physical security. Already a superior, “born in the Cloud” security provider, Flint’s ability to provide top-notch security and security teaching regarding the safest measures for any given setting is now separated from most SMB providers by the presence of such a skilled and experienced CISSP and complete CISO services.
Product Availability
Flint Tech Solutions offers SMBs and Enterprise companies the rare and valuable circumstance of having all four pillars of Digital Transformation under one roof; Cyber Security is our first concern, adding Digital Marketing, IT Managed Solutions, and DevOps/App Support, eliminating the need for dealing with multiple companies, multiple representatives, and conflicting contracts. Lower your overall operating costs while receiving optimal care toward helping you do business better.
Founded in 2013, Flint Tech Solutions is focused on Managed Cybersecurity Services with a complete in-house team that supports it through Digital Transformation of business to Engage your customers, Empower your employees, Optimize your operations, and Transform your products, all while reducing your overall costs of operation!
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Flint Tech Solutions operates in 6 countries, observing and helping clients maintain full national and international compliances, including GDPR, HIPPA, PCI DSS, and others. For more information, press only:
This morning, I watched with fascination as the news anchor announced that the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers would be going with paperless tickets starting with the August 7th Taylor Swift concert! This is a big step in the Digital Transformation of Heinz Field and of Pittsburgh itself, so I sat down with Flint Tech founder and CEO Ken Barrett to talk about what’s involved in such a huge change. I wondered about any cybersecurity concerns, and how they might resolve the issue of someone with either a dead battery or no smartphone at all.
Join us in this video of our conversation, because every time you can listen to Ken talk about our business, you do business better!
Simon Migliano, Top10VPN 
Gabriel Wood, NextAdvisor: 
