There’s often more to mobile applications than meets the eye.
Did you know that when you download and accept a user agreement for an app on a mobile device, you sometimes allow the app to access to your browsing history, microphone, contacts and more?
Whether the app is for shopping, fitness tracking or food delivery, there’s a possibility user information is being collected and shared by the app developer, the app store, an advertiser or an ad network, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
To secure your information, the CyberSafe at USPS team offers these tips:
• Limit access. It’s likely your information will be stored and sold when you grant an app permission to access device functions that are beyond the app’s main purpose.
• Update permissions. Android users can make changes to app permissions in the application manager, while Apple iPhone users can alter permissions in Settings under “Privacy.”
• Keep them guessing. To prevent all accounts from becoming vulnerable, users should have different, unique passphrases for each application.
The CyberSafe at USPS Blue and LiteBlue pages have additional information.
