Precautions for granting app permissions
Assess and review the app permissions requested
Before installation or downloading any application assess if the permissions requested are really necessary for the purpose it is being used. For example, a cab service app will require to access your internet and GPS but should not ask for your contact list. Similarly, when an app seeks permission for some sensitive permissions like Body sensors, Calendar, Camera, Contacts, GPS location, Microphone it should be reviewed and avoided totally if its found to be inappropriate.
Few app requests for permissions that can access sensitive/restricted data and needs close review and consideration beforehand include
- GPS location, as a malicious app can track your whereabouts
- Microphone, as a malicious app can capture your private or confidential conversations
- Body sensors, as a malicious app could spy on your health data.
- Calendar, as a malicious app can capture your personal routines, meeting times, and events and even manipulate them.
- Camera, as a malicious app can secretly turn on your camera and record events around you.
- Contacts, as a malicious app can steal contacts details & target members in the list with spam, phishing scams, etc.,
- Text or messages, as a malicious app can spy on your messages
- Storage, as a malicious app can secretly read, change, and delete any of your saved documents, music, photos, and other files. etc.,
- Administrator privileges and root privileges which can modify the device settings are the most dangerous permissions as they can provide control of the device to the malicious app.