Mobile apps are there because it keeps a whole lot of things pretty much accessible with a simple tap of your finger. However, there might be some repercussions to using them, especially after a new report that has been filed which said that many of the official presidential campaign apps are not properly adhering to protecting the privacy of its users.
Presidential Campaign Mobile Apps Might Leak Personal Information According to New Study
The study in question pertaining to the presidential campaign mobile apps is from cyber security firm, Symantec. The company says that more than half of the apps that they have tested “may expose” personal data. Among those apps are from Republican candidates Ted Cruz and John Kasich to which these applications were quite vulnerable to snooping.
“In the case of the official John Kasich 2016 mobile app developed by MyCivic, every app you have installed on your device and your location may be exposed,” stated Symantec pertaining to their study. “In the case of the official Ted Cruz “Cruz Crew” app, your mobile device details and unique IMSI identification may be exposed.”
The cyber security firm did not disclose as to if hackers had already taken advantage of the potential exposed data. However, not all mobile apps for presidential campaigns do have issues with regards to having the possibility of exposing personal information. Apps that are dedicated to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump appear to have no issues according to the company.
In addition to the apps for the purpose of official campaigns, Symantec says there may be many other unofficial ones out there in which they have not tested out. Speaking of which, 75-percent of those unofficial apps are concerned with Donald Trump, which is the Republican front runner.
The cyber security firm says that people should only use the apps that only come from “trusted sources.” Furthermore, they state that users should carefully notice and take heed of what permissions of the app is asking for. Should you feel that the app is asking you for too much of your personal information, then it is advised not to continue with the installation. Symantec says, “it might be a sign to run the other way.”
Symantec estimates that approximately 140,000 mobile phones have mobile apps that are being used for campaigning. Users should also take notice if the application that they’re using is doing something out of the norm with their mobile device. If so, proper uninstall procedures should be followed.