How Safe Are Mobile & Computer Applications

Prevention is better than Cure 🙇‍♂️

Mustufa Ansari
3 min readFeb 9, 2022

While going online on a mobile phone or a computer, have you ever wondered if your data is even secure? How safe are the applications that you are installing? Why should you be concerned about safety? Maybe your privacy is in danger, and you don’t even know about it.

These questions often come to mind, and a person cannot help but think about the risks that come along with having a mobile or a computer.

Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the safety of mobile and computer applications.

We will also tell you about the threats that you may have to deal with while using these devices. So, without spending more time, let’s start it.

Why is safety important?

Whenever your mobile or PC is connected to the internet, there is always a security risk that comes with it. This can result in your private information being breached or malware being installed in the device.

Thus, mobile and computer security are to keep your info safe as well as to keep your device free from viruses and malware.

Can downloading applications be dangerous?

Without a second thought, malicious applications are dangerous. They can compromise your security and can launch a range of attacks on your device.

This does not mean that all applications are hazardous.

Currently, there are millions of useful apps present for us online, but some of them do contain malware.

Malware is software that can damage your device and put your privacy at risk. So, YES, downloading such applications can be harmful.

Which threats are associated with critical applications?

As discussed above, downloading a malicious application can be dangerous and can result in different types of threats.

Such applications contain viruses, worms, and malware, which are harmful. They hinder the performance of the device and waste its resources.

So, these threats can come in the form of Information disclosure and Data leakage. Other potential risks include Phishing, Spyware, Spoofing, and Tampering with the device’s hardware or software.

Geo-location is also a threat as this can be used to track the physical location of the person owning the equipment.

How to stay safe?

Knowing about all these threats and risks can be scary, but no need to worry. Follow the below steps to stay safe.

  1. Install apps from original sites and avoid suspicious websites.
  2. Do not download applications from email and social media links.
  3. Some applications ask for access to your personal information, such as contacts, location, and call log. If you are not comfortable with the permissions it’s requesting for, don’t use the app.
  4. To update the applications and operating system, use the automatic update feature when it’s available.
  5. Before installing an app, do a bit of research for yourself. Read articles and reviews about the app.
  6. Look for the developer’s website and see their previous apps. If there’s nothing suspicious, the chances are that the app you want will be free of malware too.
  7. Uninstall the apps that you don’t need.

Verdict

We cannot deny the fact that installing mobile and computer applications is an essential part of the user experience. In the real world, everything comes with a price. Here, data privacy and malware are significant concerns that come with installing applications.

It is also not possible to get rid of these risks and make apps 100% safe. But we do know that:

“Prevention is better than Cure”

so, it’s better not to install malicious apps before getting into trouble.

Hopefully, by taking precautions before installing an app we can reduce the risks of malicious apps. Also, by keeping in mind the above-mentioned safety measures, we can keep our devices safe and secure.

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Mustufa Ansari

📱Android/iOS Developer 🖋️ I Write For Mobile Developers 🎓 Tech Enthusiast