Google Play Store Security Update: Available Android Apps May Not Be Safe For Download, Find Out Why

There are tons of mobile apps that one can get from the Google Play Store, a mix of free and paid applications. Getting hold of official Android apps there should be safe until a study came out to indicate otherwise. Though the explanation is broad, the fact of the matter is that there are some apps which may be up to no good.

The study comes from New Scientist, claiming that Google Play Store can only safeguard apps and customers to a certain extent. The immediate concern of most is the spread of malware but it seems some apps have been doing sneaky things behind the scenes with users unaware of such after they are downloaded and installed on Android mobile devices.

Daphne Yao of Virginia Tech has suspected such collusions though admits that they are hard to pin down. After doing the necessary analysis on a huge number of apps, around 23-percent out of 100,206 popular Android apps are colluding pairs. Out of the pairs, 54 apps were identified to instigate collusion.

These findings should raise some concern for mobile device owners and the findings will be presented at the upcoming Asian Conference on Computer and Communications Security. The discovery shows how personal information can be passed recklessly and hopefully, it does not go beyond the low frequency as of this writing.

The Google Play Store offers a slightly lax management when it comes to apps offered to subscribers. According to InfoWorld, Bob Violino touched on that aspect and indicated how the Google Play Store could become be a source of security risks. Unlike the Apple app store, the process may not be as detailed when it comes to approving apps recommended for download. With the findings, don’t be surprised if some apps suddenly vanish and Google tightening up measures to prevent a cyber catastrophe from spreading.