The data of more than 100 million users of Android devices can be disclosed due to various errors in the settings of third-party cloud services used by mobile applications. This is the conclusion of experts from the company Check Point Research; working in the field of information security, after conducting a study.
According to the available data, experts studied 23 popular applications for Android devices. As a result, they came to the conclusion that various kinds of errors in the configuration of cloud services that use these applications can lead to the potential disclosure of personal data of tens of millions of users. We are talking about emails, chat messages, passwords, photos, etc.
Experts managed to get access to the confidential data of users of 13 Android applications; the number of downloads of each of which ranges from 10 thousand to 10 million. Push notifications and cloud storage keys in several applications were also available. As for the applications themselves, which can potentially become a source of data leakage, such products as Screen Recorder, Logo Maker, Astro Guru, T’Leva are some examples.
Researchers recommend that users be more careful when choosing the apps they use on their Android smartphones. Users should also use a software solution for protecting confidential information that can monitor the activity of various processes in real time, preventing potential leaks.
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Tim Cook Says Users Can Choose Android Over iPhone To Use Third-Party App Stores
In a separate news, In the US, the court continued to consider the case of the so-called Apple tax, a 30 percent commission that the company takes from application developers. This time, Apple CEO Tim Cook answered the questions of the court, which was held in Oakland, California.
Among other things, the top manager said that Apple cares about users, does not allow downloading applications from third-party stores; as well as carefully checking all products that are available in the branded App Store. Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said game developers generate the majority of App Store revenue. She noted that Apple’s revenue from content creators “seems disproportionate”.
Tim Cook tried to convince the judge that Apple does not violate the rules of competition by prohibiting developers from using third-party payment systems in their products and charging a 30% commission on user transactions. When asked about the possibility of allowing users to use third-party stores to find cheaper options; the Apple chief replied that users already have a choice between the iPhone and a large number of Android smartphones. Separate emphasis was placed on the fact that Apple is putting a lot of effort into checking applications; thereby taking care of user security and the confidentiality of their personal data.
