Smartphone Data Over-collection and Information Leakage
Smartphone Data Over-Collection & Leakage
INTRODUCTION: -
Today electronic devices can store all types of data. The smartphone is the most rapidly used electronic device used everywhere. Smartphones Apps collect user personal data more than their actual working which is known as data over-collection. Which is becoming most dangerous problem smart city. In this paper, we study different types of data over-collected mechanisms and how smartphone apps collect over personal and private data like photos, contacts, passwords, bank account number etc. With the increasing popularity of the “Smartphones” different types of applications (a.k.a. Apps) are installed everyday. However, it brings some new challenges to be solved. such as security and privacy [1]. The most arduous challenge in smartphone is security and privacy of sensitive data. Today, everyone sharing data with each other through Apps. For the transmission of data from one location to another better internet access is required. Because of smartphone portability it is the most widely used electronic device.
About Smartphones: -
u With the increasing popularity of “Smartphones” different types of Apps are installed. It brings some new challenges to be solved such as “Security” & “Privacy” of user-sensitive data.
u Smartphone users can access the internet everywhere via Wi-Fi.
u Smartphone user can:
ü Watch online videos
ü Online bill payment
ü Online ticket booking
ü Online textual talk
ü Online Photos sharing
What is Data Over-Collection?
u Electronic devices can store all types of data. The smartphone is the most rapidly used electronic device used everywhere.
u Smartphone Apps Collect user personal data more than their actual working is known as Data Over-Collection.
u Which is becoming the most dangerous problem in smart cities.
u The smartphone Apps collect user data as well as regenerate new data also.
u The data which is collected from smartphone users is:
ü Email id’s
ü Photos/Images
ü Account Number
ü House Address
ü SMS
ü Location
ü Wi-Fi Connection
Ø As a result Security and privacy of user data in smartphones becomes an important issue.
Non-iOS System and iOS System:-
Non-iOS systems are more unsecured as compare to iOS systems.
iOS System = iPhone Operating System.
Non-iOS System = Android.
Due to the locked environment of the iOS system, it is more secured than the non-iOS system.
Information Leakage:-
Apple Store and Google play store provides 1000 Apps for different smartphone users with various functionality.
Apps often interact with personal or system sensitive data retrieved from local sensors embedded in mobile devices such as:
ü A GPS signal Receiver
ü An embedded Digital Camera
ü A Hidden microphone
Different types of personal identity theft and private information acquirement attacks are developed and deployed among various Apps in order to steal private information from smartphone users. All this data is collected from user smartphones without their knowledge. Most of the time, smartphone user information is leaked through:
ü Social Networking Apps
ü E-commerce Apps and others.
ü There are multiple Apps available that leaks smartphone user personal information and sensitive data to Third parties.
ü Apps send half of the user data to a third parties for advertisement without user knowledge.
Smartphone Data Monitoring and Detecting Methods:-
During the installation of Apps into smartphones, users have to allow different permissions to App developers.
Permissions include:
ü Location
ü Camera
ü Contact
ü Identify
ü Audio
ü Video
Location Tracking:-
Smartphone users use Apps like Google Map, Street view, Ola cab, Uber, and others. These Apps asked permission to access the location before installation. Once the user is allowed these Apps to access his location then it is for forever. For “Android” users they have no method to skip this problem. Android users can “Uninstall” that particular App if they don’t want anyone to track their location. But iOS phone users have full control over these permissions due to their blocked environment. That’s why iOS systems are more secured as compared to non-iOS.
u According to the report of “Appthority”
u 50% of iOS free Apps
u 24% of iOS paid Apps
u 82% Android free Apps
u 49% Android paid Apps
u Track user locations without smartphone user information.
Photo Access: -
Albums are widely used in Smartphones. Smartphones with large storage capacity hold an increasing amount of pictures including life photos and information pictures. Due to the popularity of Social Networking Apps, people form a habit of posting photos showing what they are doing using Social Networking Apps. Almost all Social Networking App successfully get permission to use Album.
Summary: -
Data over-collection in smartphones becomes the most severe potential privacy hazard in a smart city. Unlike malware, data overcollection is difficult to be solved, because this kind of behavior is within permissions authorized by users.
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