Third-party applications have become integral to our daily lives in today’s digital and social media-energised era. From gaming to social media and personal finance apps, these apps help to improve our experiences and streamline our activities. It seems PERFECT, but these apps also impose potential risks on our data. In order to secure our sensitive information, it is vital to understand risks and learn how these third-party apps can compromise your data.

This article explains what a third-party app is, why it is risky, and signs that third-party apps are compromising your data.

What is a third-party app?

Third-party apps are applications not developed/supported by the manufacturer of the device or its OS. Let us explain to you through a simple example.

If you are an iPhone user, any software application Apple does not create is called a third-party app. Such apps need access to specific data on your device to function efficiently.

Why third-party apps are risky?

There are several reasons why third-party apps are risky.

1. Third-party apps request access to your personal data, like contacts, photos, camera, microphone, or location. If this access is misused, it can lead to potential privacy breaches.
2.     Some applications have security flaws. Hackers can easily misuse it to gain unauthorised data access.
3.     All apps are not developed by trusted developers who follow the best data security practices. So, if you download the apps developed by untrusted developers, they can collect and misuse your data.

What is data compromise?

Data compromise/breach occurs when unauthorised users access sensitive or confidential information. This information could involve personal information like healthcare records, banking details, or corporate information such as proprietary data or trade secrets.

This data compromise can occur through various means, like phishing, hacking, accidental disclosure, or malicious insiders. Data compromise can lead to financial losses, legal consequences, or reputational damage.

Let us check out some recent third-party data breaches.

Recent Third-party Data Breaches Of the Year 2024

In January 2024, Microsoft Security Team experienced an attack on its email systems by Midnight Blizzard. This incident has compromised email accounts, and hackers have downloaded around 60,000 emails from the US State Department.

Another example is the Infosys McCamish data breach. In Feb 2024, Bank of America announced their customer data was compromised through the Infosys McCamish Cybersecurity incident. Due to this incident, an authorised user accessed specific customers’ sensitive information like address, email address, date of birth, bank account details, social security numbers, etc. Approximately 6.5 million individual’s data was compromised.

Now, here the question is, how do I know if third-party apps can compromise with my data?

Read on to learn.

How do you know a third-party app is compromising your data?

Here are common factors that you can consider to identify if your third-party app is compromising your data.

• If you are experiencing unusual battery drain, it is the first and most common sign of a data breach. It might happen that the specific app is running in the background and collects and transmits data without your knowledge.
• When you notice a sudden data usage spike, there is a high risk that your third-party app is transferring a large amount of data.
• Experiencing too many pop-ups and ads after installing the new app? There could be a high chance that the apps will collect and share your data with advertisers.
•  If your app runs unnecessary background processes, it is clearly malicious behaviour. If your device is heating up or slowing down significantly, it is a clear red flag that the app running in the background is compromising your data.
•  Have you noticed that any app is asking for more permissions through updates or suddenly asking for access to data or features irrelevant to their function? Be aware. The app could be compromising your data.
•  Any app that frequently crashes or freezes your device seems poorly designed and tries to interfere with your system by collecting data.
• Suppose you notice any unauthorised activity from the apps linked to your account, such as unexpected password changes, logins, or messages sent from your account. In that case, the app could be compromising your data.

Signing Off

Hopefully, now you know how to determine if any third-party apps compromise your data. Without any doubt, third-party apps are helpful but can cause data breaches. Therefore, you must be careful before giving app permissions and downloading any app. Make yourself aware of the latest security news to safeguard your data. Remember, Your security and privacy are in your hands! So follow the best practices and don’t download any unnecessary third-party apps.