How Safe is it to Use Retail Apps?
Retail Tech Insights | Monday, January 27, 2020
Most of the retail apps end up with vulnerabilities, and consumers should be more cautious when installing those apps.
FREMONT, CA: Not all android mobile apps are safe as some of the apps leak personal data. The belief that financial and insurance companies release the most reliable apps is gaining fame as most of the retail apps break the consumers' trust. Notably, the retail apps that collect personal data are a major threat as one of the recent studies show that 70 percent of them leak sensitive data including names, usernames, phone numbers, email, geolocation, account numbers and device identifiers including serial numbers. This is because these apps lack security and privacy measures that could jeopardize consumer data. According to a study, 82 percent of brick and mortar retail apps, and 92 percent of online retail apps "actively" leak sensitive data. Also, 8 percent of online retail apps were secure, which does not expose personal information.
Owing to the high level of insecurity created by these e-commerce apps, consumers can uninstall all retail apps from their phones unless they are proved as safe apps. A vast number of users operate under the false assumption the retail apps on their phones are safe. One of the security firms warns to the millions of mobile app consumers and businesses to temporarily stop using top retail and e-commerce. According to the Forter Fraud Attack Index report, fraud around loyalty programs has risen to 89 percent and is one of the most critical ways to lock in customers. If this challenge is not addressed correctly, it will be not only a financial headache for customers, retailers, and financial services, but can also drive consumers to more secure competitors.
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With mobile accounting for nearly half of online sales throughout the year, many digital-centric retailers must take steps to secure their mobile apps better and preserve customer trust in their brands. Consumers should make sure that the apps they install provide proper security measures. Thus, building the right level of security implementation as a part of the retailer mobile app is essential.
See Also: Cyber Security Review Magazine
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