Poor Maintenance of Digital Apps on Mobile Devices Increases Risk of Data Breaches

Global cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab revealed that poor maintenance of applications has left mobile devices vulnerable to security threats.

A research by the company disclosed that mobile users experience digital clutter as they usually install 12 Android apps every month but delete only 10, thus, adding two apps to their devices on a monthly basis.

This build-up of digital clutter means that regular maintenance and update of apps are important to prevent data breaches on mobile devices.

The study showed that 28 percent of users only update apps on their devices when they are forced to while 10 percent do not try at all.

According to Kaspersky Lab, 83 out of 100 Android users have access to sensitive user data such as contacts, messages and data and can even make calls and send SMS.

Furthermore, quite a number of apps are being launched on devices without the consent of the users compromising the security of their personal data.

These findings are part of a new report compiled by Kaspersky Lab titled “Digital Clutter and its Dangers” which is based on insights gained through a combination of an online survey across 17 countries, statistical analysis from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) and an experiment into app performance by Kaspersky Lab internal testers.

“Users are exposing devices and personal data to security threats by failing to undertake simple but essential care for their device that cleans and updates software and apps, adjusts settings, and uninstalls apps that are no longer used. The build-up of digital clutter on our devices means that we increasingly overlook the maintenance of these apps. But we do so at our peril because this can lead to a wide range of problems such as device glitches, battery life issues or malware infection,” Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab said in a statement.

To protect their personal data, users are advised to take time to go through their devices and check information stored on apps and files; regularly clear out and refresh information stored on devices; conduct regular updates as soon as new versions are released and use software cleaners that can scan all applications installed on the device and mark those posing potential risks or are rarely used. (PNA)
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