SMARTPHONE owners are being warned over the dangerous signs that it’s time to delete an app.
There are five “red flag” apps that you should look out for, according to a cyber-expert at leading security giant McAfee.
Anyone with an iPhone or Android could fall victim to a hacked app.
Billions of users will have dozens of apps installed, so they’re a common route for cyber-criminals to attack you.
Dangerous apps will often request “permissions” that they don’t need, according to a cyber-expert at McAfee.
“Requests for permissions such as these aren’t a sign of an invasive app in and of themselves,” a McAfee security official wrote in a memo for phone owners.
“Some apps require them to work.
“The telltale sign of an invasive app is when the app asks for permissions it doesn’t need.
“Think like the flashlight app that wants access to your microphone.”
There are five common permissions that an invasive “malicious” app might ask for, according to McAfee.
If you see a suspicious app asking for any of these five permissions, it might be time to delete it:
- Using your camera
- Accessing your microphone
- Tracking your location
- Accessing and modifying your contats
- Reading your calendar
If a dangerous app gets access to any one of these permissions, it could silently spy on you.
That could lead to other crimes like fraud or extortion.
“The tricky bit with invasive apps is that many people quickly click through the user agreements and permission screens when they get a new app,” the McAfee security expert wrote.
“Sometimes without reading carefully. That can particularly be the case with children grabbing a new app.
“However, it’s never too late to spot an invasive app. And remove it.”
It’s very simple to spot and remove these apps.
For instance, iPhone owners can go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check to see permissions granted to iOS apps.
You can also check by going to to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report.
If you see anything suspicious, simply delete the app.
You can make similar checks on an Android phone by going into Settings > Apps > Permissions.
