Smartphone users trading privacy for new apps: Norton study

With one in two Indians granting access to contacts and mobile data in exchange for free apps, they are exposing themselves to privacy risks, a survey by cyber security firm Norton said today.

The study said two of three Indians now access the internet more often on a mobile device than on a personal computer.

The Norton mobile survey shows that the most concerning security issues for Indian mobile users were malware attacks (34%), followed by threats involving fraudulent access or misuse of credit card and bank account details (21%) and hacking and leaking of personal information (19%).

“While four out of five consumers concede that security risks like malware, hacking and misuse of data, cyber stalking etc on mobile devices were just as great, if not greater than those faced while using desktops or laptops, ironically a majority (60%) of them seem to be undermining the security of their devices by dismissing these risks as fairly minimal,” the survey said.

The survey was conducted across 14 cities in India with 1,005 smartphone and tablet users aged 16 and above.

The survey further revealed that over one in three consumers accept that many apps they use are likely to collect data about them, yet one in five say they would download any app that “looked cool” regardless of its origin or reputation.

A shocking 36 per cent would either always grant permission or simply don’t know enough about the kind of permissions they may have granted.

“Only eight per cent reject requests bearing in mind the risks involved,” it added.