How to maintain data privacy while using mobile apps? Experts opinion on what you can do to avoid misuse of your data online.

1. Expert Opinion APP Security & Data Privacy

2. Protect your Digital Data Privacy – App
Security
There are no indications to tell if an app is stealing your personal information, but you can take
steps to maintain privacy.
There is no foolproof way to know if your activity is being monitored, even when you stop the
services.
With iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a new privacy feature that blocks apps from using data for
targeted ads and sharing it with third parties.
Google also introduced privacy settings in Android 12, but it is important to be aware of other
tips for data protection.

3. Use a password manager
A password manager is used to manage a person's passwords and make them stronger.
Password managers prevent password-reuse attacks by allowing users to generate a new,
random password for each site.
A password manager can protect you from phishing sites by saving your passwords and
automatically entering them on the site.
The password manager will not enter your password if you're on an imposter website.

4. Download apps only from Apple and
Google stores
Downloading apps from third-party store can potentially infect your smartphone or tablet with
malicious bugs.
You should only download apps from the official Apple App Store or Google Play store, because
not all apps are trustworthy.
It is recommended to only download from the official stores and never side-load an app.
Apps downloaded from unofficial sites can sometimes have malware, ransomware, trojan and
spyware.
Before downloading an app, there are many things to look at, such as how long the app has
been available, reviews, and irregular pattern of reviews.
Read about this whole topic in detail by clicking here.

5. Use VPN on public WiFi
Public WiFi networks can be a security risk, and VPN is recommended to protect your
information while using public WiFi.
A VPN sends your traffic using an encrypted 'tunnel', which makes it hard for people to intercept
and decipher.
However, you need to use a trustworthy and well-known VPN app and always read the service
agreement to know what data might be collected and stored.

6. Be vigilant of app & its permissions
When downloading an app, we should check to see what permissions it asks for before interacting
with the app.
App permissions are not always clear, but a lot of the time it is easy to tell if an app will need the
permission or not.
You can't tell about the authenticity or security of an app by its face value, but a quick Google search
can give you thorough information.
A software vulnerability is a security hole in an application that hackers can exploit to gain access to
the data.
Hackers and crackers exploit software vulnerabilities in the hopes of getting access to a system.
Therefore, always consider updates like vaccines for your smartphone—a protective way to keep your
smartphone evolving and stay ahead of the breaches.