IBM Report: Workers Using Dating Apps On Company Phones May Pose Security Risks

(laffy4k)

Whether you have a company-issued phone or you use your won for both work and play, finding love through dating apps on your device may increase the risk of a security breach for your employer, a new report from IBM says.

Rejection won’t be the only possible negative outcome from using data apps for millions of people who use the services on their smartphones, IBM says in a study reported by Reuters: Researchers say that 26 of 41 dating apps analyzed on Android platforms had medium or high severity vulnerabilities.

Without naming the vulnerable apps, IBM says it’s alerted the app publishers to potential problems.

IBM found that workers used the vulnerable apps in nearly 50% of the companies sampled for its research. And when workers are often bringing their own device (Bring Your Own Device or BYOD, as IBM puts it)to use for work purposes, that can open their employers up to cyber attacks as well as risking their personal info.

“The trouble with BYOD is that, if not managed properly, the organizations might be leaking sensitive corporate data via employee-owned devices,” said the IBM report.

The thing is, when you’re in the mood for love, you might let your guard down and be more trusting when there could be a potential security problem lurking in an app. A hacked app could allow villains to send bogus “phishing” messages from potential lovers to get sensitive info or install malware.

Or a phone’s camera or microphone could be compromised, and rigged to turn on remotely through a vulnerable app. Unsecured GPS data could lead to stalking, as well.

Thus far, however, IBM says it hasn’t seen a rash of security breaches due to dating apps over any other kind of social media where users also may have their guard down.

To keep risks at bay, IBM suggests limiting how much personal information you reveal on the site and in messages to potential mates, and keep track of each app’s permissions.

IBM Security Finds Over 60 Percent of Popular Dating Apps Vulnerable to Hackers [Reuters]

Dating apps pose U.S. corporate security risk, says IBM [Reuters]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist