Appthority Analyzes Top 400 iOS and Android Apps for Enterprise Security and Privacy Risks

Top paid and free apps put confidential and sensitive corporate data at-risk

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Aug 04, 2014, 08:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Appthority, the leader in mobile app risk management, today announced the launch of their new summer 2014 App Reputation Report analyzing the most popular iOS and Android apps for hidden security and privacy risks. The new report identifies the top ten riskiest mobile app behaviors that threaten the enterprise and are found in 99 percent of the most popular free iOS and Android apps.

ClickToTweet: What security risks are hidden in your favorite #mobile apps? @Appthority analyzes top 400 iOS and Android apps http://bit.ly/1oVOROe

As more organizations adopt Mobile First, Bring Your Own Apps (BYOA) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, preventing security and corporate privacy risks is a growing concern. In the analysis of the top 400 apps, as identified by Google and Apple, Appthority found that risky app behaviors fall into two primary categories: sensitive data being captured and sensitive data being shared.

The summer 2014 Appthority App Reputation Report identifies the Top 10 Risky Behaviors and outlines why the data the most popular apps are capturing and sharing puts the enterprise at-risk.

"As enterprises navigate how best to leverage the power of 'mobile' they have to confront the fact that user data and corporate data live side-by-side on mobile devices. Many mobile apps collect and share sensitive personal and corporate data without the user even being aware," said Domingo Guerra, president and co-founder, Appthority. "The first step toward mitigating this risk is to have full visibility into what risky behaviors are hidden in mobile apps, so that you can design acceptable use policies that protect your organization."

Highlights from the summer 2014 Appthority App Reputation Report include:

78% of the top Android paid apps had at least one of the Top 10 Risky Behaviors
87% of the top iOS paid apps had at least one of the Top 10 Risky Behaviors
82% of the top free Android and 50% of the top free iOS apps allow location tracking
88% of the top free Android and 65% of paid Android apps access the user's ID (UDID) compared to 57% of the top free iOS and 28% of paid iOS apps
71% of the top free Android apps share data with ad networks up from 58% of the top free Android apps earlier this year
58% of the top free Android apps and 55% of the top free iOS apps allow for in-app purchases
31% of the top free Android apps connect to cloud file storage, compared to 16% of free iOS apps

In addition, the summer 2014 Appthority App Reputation Report found 85 different developers behind the top 100 iOS and Android apps. The massive number of diverse developers highlights a growing IT management problem as companies struggle to adapt to a much more dynamic software environment. Previously, software used in the enterprise came from a few trusted developers and enabled easy white-listing, but that is no longer possible as sensitive data is frequently up-for-grabs for third parties to mis-use.

Although malicious software (malware) created to compromise device and data security is often perceived as the leading threat to the enterprise, Appthority found that mobile malware infects only .4% of mobile apps in the enterprise and 0% of the apps found in the top 400.

To download Appthority's new summer 2014 App Reputation Report, please visit:
https://www.appthority.com/app-reputation-report

Appthority will also be presenting with MobileIron at the upcoming BSides event happening in Las Vegas during Black Hat 2014. To schedule a meeting, please contact: [email protected]

About Appthority
Appthority's Mobile App Risk Management service automates the discovery, analysis, and approval of apps present on employee devices. Only Appthority combines the largest global database of millions of previously analyzed public and enterprise apps with a policy management engine to automate app review and approval of new apps as well as enforce custom, acceptable use policies for thousands of employees within minutes. Appthority enables companies to leverage mobility and empower a smarter, safer, mobile workforce. More information on Appthority can be found at https://www.appthority.com.

Appthority name and logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Appthority, Inc in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and/or services referenced are trademarks of their respective companies.

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SOURCE Appthority