Tag Archives: smartphones

Mobile Banking Apps: Are They Safe?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by val| Leave a comment

How many times have you found yourself away from home and needing to check your account balance? We’ve all been there, and for most of us, we feel more comfortable using an app to check our balance than risk going overdrawn – again. But how safe are these mobile banking apps?

Smart phone banking is on the rise thanks to mobile apps that are fast, efficient and give us the information we need while on the go. These apps are not yet perfected, so they do carry some risk that could have your banking information in the hands of the wrong person.

The most important privacy issue to be aware of is that mobile apps can carry malicious software that steals information from your banking account. App stores don’t always review their apps, so it’s easy to slip this software into them. If you buy directly from Google or Apple, you can expect that the app should be safe, but other app stores – don’t be so sure.

Second, you don’t have the same type of security on your phone as you do on your computer. Therefore, if there is malicious software on the app, the phone won’t recognize it as a laptop or computer would.

Finally, many users choose to use their banking apps while on WiFi networks, which are unprotected and have many people – yes, hackers – watching over what others do. And think about your own phone; if anyone picked it up, it probably wouldn’t have a passcode that would keep an unwanted person out.

Fortunately, you can proceed with caution, even though apps have taken a recent hit with a 400 percent increase in malware in the Android market alone in 2011. First, see if you need an app in the first place. Some banks have a mobile-based website that you can use in place of an app. These banking sites are much more secure, although you still want to use caution when in a WiFi network.

If you do need an app, make sure you buy the app from a reputable app store that tests their apps for malicious software. Google’s Android Market and Apple’s iPhone App Store are good examples of where to buy from. You can also read reviews, check out the privacy policy and password-protect your phone.

Image Source: Flickr.com

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Online Privacy: There’s an App for That Too!

Posted on January 5, 2012 by val| Leave a comment

As we celebrate the New Year, there has never been so much anticipation for changes being made with online privacy. Some think that 2012 IS the year for online privacy and the time that people will be able to virtually ‘vanish’ online. When considering whether or not this year will bring a lot of change to the internet, it’s interesting to wonder how the change will come.

Sure, sites like Google and Facebook have made updates to their systems that have enabled users to have more control over their privacy, even opting out of being tracked – to some degree at least. But the future lies in more than just privacy settings; the future lies in apps.

Take note that on Christmas Day, seven million smartphones and tablets were activated. That number is way up from the 2.8 million that were activated one year ago. And when you consider all the devices that run off apps – from Apple’s iPhone to Amazon’s Kindle – it seems that everything these days are made for apps.

It’s no surprise that apps are so popular. They allow users to customize their tablets and smartphones, while choosing the exact applications that match their interests, lifestyles and personalities. Each tablet is different from the next because of these apps, and it’s easy to offer new and exciting material, keeping the whole concept of tablets and smartphones fresh.

This year, many people suspect that online privacy will come in the form of an app as well. And, it makes sense when you think about it: You download an app that watches out for you, protects your online image and prevents internet companies and marketers from tracking your internet usage.

Apps may also be made in slimmed down versions that don’t offer all the amenities as their full, Big-Brother-style versions. In general, new apps on the market for 2012 will limit what internet companies can see when tracking users on the web.

But remember, not everything is actually as good as it sounds. Many apps are made possible by tracking the user’s web activity. For example, how do you expect to get directions when the app can’t track where you are, or how are you supposed to get the full benefits of a music app when the software can’t track what you listen to?

For many users, it’s a matter of convenience and privacy, and convenience still comes out on top. While you may fork over some privacy, having these apps in their full form is most attractive for users. However, for those that are willing to get streamlined designs of applications, they can better protect their online identities and take control over their online reputation.

Image: mashable.com

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Should Smartphone Owners Expect to Give Up Their Privacy Rights?

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Tiffany| Leave a comment

If you’re a cell phone owner (and who isn’t), you may be weighing whether getting a smartphone is a good idea or not. There’s no doubt that these devices are extremely convenient, useful, and downright fun to use. And it doesn’t hurt that they look so cool either. However, smartphone owners are among the most monitored people in the world, whether they realize it or not. As the extensive tentacles of cell phone providers, applications, and social media websites grow, more and more smartphone owners are trading privacy for technology.

One of the main ways that smartphone owners are tracked is within the phone itself. If you turn on the wi-fi option on your phone, you’re able to connect to other wireless networks in  your area. This may make your web browsing and communications quicker, but you may also be broadcasting your location to mobile phone providers around the world. GPS tracking applications are another way that smartphone owners are monitored. These apps use your physical location to determine where you are and then make recommendations or suggestions as to what ads are relevant to you. You might think that these apps don’t affect you, but several of the extremely popular smartphone apps such as FourSquare, Facebook, and Yelp use GPS software to establish your location and allow you to “check in” or provide reviews of certain establishments.

As some technology writers believe, these programs are incredibly intrusive, but incredibly entertaining as well. And most smartphone owners are more than willing to give up some of their user privacy for the experience of using one of these devices As Gizmodo writer Sam Biddle put it, “That line of creepiness is there, but it’s eroding quickly because, frankly, we are just getting used to it.”

Image c/o: digitpedia

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Verizon Decides to Make Money Selling Customer Data

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Tiffany| Leave a comment

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer or if you’re considering becoming a Verizon Wireless customer, listen up. The company announced last week that it will begin selling specific information about its customers to third-party (read: advertising) companies to enhance the quality of mobile ads. What this means for users is that Verizon will send information such as the websites you visit on your smartphones, your specific location, and the apps you download to marketing companies, who will then use this info to design ads that are targeted directly at you. For example, if you live in a small town in Wisconsin,  you may see advertisements during your app use or internet browsing that focus on stores and goods in your specific area.

Current Verizon subscribers received an email earlier in the week, informing them that the company  had updated its privacy policy to allow sharing of personal information, but that customers could contact Verizon to opt out of the new policy ahead of its beginning on November 1, 2011. However, even this provision is cold comfort. Users who opt out of the new policy won’t have their information shared with advertisers, but Verizon will still be collecting it anyway. They just won’t be selling it immediately.

According to some analysts, changes like this may prompt consumers to become more aware of how companies collect, store, and use their private information to make even more profits. For Verizon, the selling of customer data is a gold mine, an opportunity to make even more money off of the same customers without raising plan prices. For the public, though, it’s yet another piece of evidence that the ability to purchase goods and services privately is slowly but surely disappearing.

Image c/o: swanksalot

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