id=”article-body” class=”row” section=”article-body”> Before you crack open that Bible app, make sure it’s not on our list of data devils. Sanda Stanca/EyeEm/Getty Sometimes developers of religious apps take the edict to be “fishers of men” too far, and sometimes the faithful put their faith in the wrong apps. As public focus on the security of apps on the Google Play Store intensifies following years of data leaks, live casino online adware infections, situs casino online security scandals and malware contagions, little coverage has been devoted to one of the most commonly exploited types of Android app: those aimed at believers. Religious apps have long been dangerous, malware-laden territory.
A widely profiled 2015 white paper from security research firm Proofpoint analyzed more than 5,600 unique Bible apps for Android and iOS. Proofpoint categorized 140 Google Play Store apps as “high risk” over suspicious behavior and flagged 208 apps for malicious code. The firm went so far as to say it had found more malware in Bible apps than even gambling apps. Proofpoint’s study wasn’t restricted solely to Christian-audience software, judi agen casino online online either. Of the 4,500 Quran apps it analyzed, 16 contained malware and 38 were classified “high risk.” Only two of the 200 Torah apps available at the time contained malware.
Despite these findings, Proofpoint did not share the names of any of the malware-laden apps at the time, telling several media outlets it was negotiating with the apps’ developers. But things have been quiet on the religious app front since then. A spokesperson for Proofpoint confirmed that the firm has not since released the names of the offending apps covered in the 2015 study. Security issues with many religious apps — and apps in general, situs judi online mukacasino for that matter — start with permissions.
“Normal” permissions are usually granted by Android — these let apps stay awake during use or get judi casino online when you tell them to. But “dangerous” permissions ask for agen casino online sensitive data that, if mishandled, could easily compromise your privacy. Some permissions that could be considered dangerous may not put you in harm’s way — like when a book-reading app asks permission to save a book to your phone so you can read it offline.
But sometimes these dangerous permissions include unnecessary requests for more information than needed. Those red flags alert you to an app’s overall security: That book-reading app doesn’t need to read your list of phone calls, pinpoint your exact location or change your system settings in order to function, does it? Read more: 7 Android VPN apps you should never use because of their privacy sins Most security researchers express a general rule of thumb: The fewer permissions an app requests, the better.
For the faithful, a similar note of guidance might be found in Proverbs 20:19: “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” These six popular apps aimed at a Christian audience talk to your phone far more than is necessary, potentially eliciting sensitive information.