First the bad:
Australians the world’s worst for malicious app downloads
4:45PM June 15, 2022
Australians are the worst in the world when it comes to downloading malicious apps, with more than a quarter of all apps downloaded considered risky.
From February 2021 to March this year, Australia had the highest rate of app threats on a per device basis in the world, with 26.9 per cent considered malicious. Those threats are more likely to occur on iOS devices, which were responsible for 30.1 per cent of app-based threats. Android devices had only 1.2 per cent of app-based threats.
That’s the gist of a study that analysed the mobile apps downloaded on 200 million devices across 160 countries. Behind the study is Lookout, a mobile device security provider, which analyses 100,000 apps a day to identify risks.
Lookout’s Asia-Pacific director, Don Tan, said nine out of 10 people had no security software on their mobiles, making them an easy target. “That mobile phone you hold in your hand today is more powerful than the computer that sent man to the moon 50 years ago. It holds a treasure trove of information,” Mr Tan said.
“Essentially, it’s the intersection of your work life and your personal life, but what’s more, what’s really alarming, is that the mobile device that sits in front of you right now not only pulls all this information together, but it also knows what you look like, what your friends and family look like and where you have been. It even has your biometrics through your fingerprint.”
On Australians becoming lax with apps, Mr Tan said it had a lot to do with the pandemic and an increased reliance on mobile phones.
“Australians may have become complacent when it comes to downloading applications to their phones, at a time when risks are higher than ever,” he said. “Across the nation they’ve been using their phones to check in, order food and more – this common usage of phones has perhaps bred a complacency about the applications they’re downloading. But they need to become more vigilant than ever.”
It appeared that iOS users had confused Apple’s reputation for strong security with its App Store, he said.
“Apple does an outstanding job with mobile security, and because of this strong reputation its users can often be lax with their own security practices,” he said. “It’s dangerous to operate under the assumption that any device you use is completely safe, regardless of the manufacturer, and people need to apply the same security precautions to every device they use.”
More here:
And what seems pretty good:
App Review: A tool for Australia’s most common genetic disorder
30th May 2022
It’s estimated one in 200 people of northern European origin are at risk of haemochromatosis, making it Australia’s most common genetic disorder.
For those with a diagnosis, Haemochromatosis Australia’s latest app might help.
Called My Iron Manager, the online tool helps patients manage their condition by allowing them to keep records of their blood test results and venesection history, as well as to set treatment goals, including serum ferritin and transferrin saturation targets.
Information collected by the app is converted into graphs so patients can easily track their progress. There’s also the option of downloading reports for GPs and specialists.
More here:
I have to say the Haemochromatosis app sound like a very valuable tool for patients and the top article suggests bit of wake up! As they used to day “stay safe out there”!
David.
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