14 DAY TRIAL // A research conducted by mobile security firm Appthority provides us with a closer look at the apps that are most often banned in the enterprise due to a wide variety of reasons, with security the biggest concern.
The firm says WhatsApp, Pokemon Go, and WinZIP top the list of apps blacklisted on iOS devices, with Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and CamScanner also among the top 10. When it comes to Android, however, the list doesn’t include any top apps, but still points to titles that recorded millions of downloads, like Wild Crocodile Simulator, Where’s My Droid Pro, and Chicken Puzzle.
The bigger difference is the reason why these apps got blacklisted in the enterprise. The security firm says the majority of apps banned on Android included malware, while others send IMEI and data unencrypted or track location without user consent.
As far as iOS apps go, the research reveals that WhatsApp can send the address book, WinZip could send SMS messages, while Plex requires access to the camera and can even expose device name and location.
Apps exposing devices
In many cases (excluding malware where the threat is more than obvious), these concerns are overblown, mostly because accessing certain information, like the address book, the camera, or tracking the location only takes place with user permission.
Most often, however, companies pay particular attention to apps installed on the device they manage because data transmission takes place without first being encrypted, the firm says.
The research says that there are also apps that do not ask for user consent, but this only happens with less popular apps whose purpose isn’t always legitimate.
Appthority goes on to say that on iOS devices, Facebook, Pandora, and Yelp are treated with extra care by administrators because they could cause a security breach, while on Android Uber, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger could include vulnerabilities increasing the risk of data leaks and breaches.
