Downloading an app means you are allowing that software to open access into your mobile phone and all of your data that is stored on it. Most of the times, these applications are used to spy an individual. The criticism received by Huawei and ZTE for collecting and sending the data to China shows us how these apps can invade our privacy without us being notified about it.
As we know, VPNs or Virtual Private Network are often considered as a reliable way to ensure the safety of data while using applications. VPNs encrypt data that is shared by you online and hence, provide you full security of the information. But contrary to this popular belief, not all the VPNs are so reliable and secure. Research conducted by the Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and UC Berkley University of South Wales and found that nearly 38% of all the Android VPN apps in the play store are infected with malware; making this blind trust of these apps a not so trustable move.
The research teams studied around 234 VPN apps that were uploaded on Google Play Store and a startling one-third were identified to be tracking users via malware. There were apps which carried out malvertising campaigns while 18% of them didn’t encrypt internet data as promised. 8 out of 10 apps requested permission to access sensitive data such as text messages and user account credentials. This proves that the primary function such VPN apps are required to perform, which is to ensure the protection of user data, is not being performed by the available apps at all. The fact cannot be overlooked that these VPN apps are used by hundreds and thousands of users across the globe.
The top ten worst VPNs as finalized by the research team include these apps: 1. OkVpn. 2. EasyVpn. 3. SuperVPN. 4. Betternet. 5. CrossVpn. 6. Archie VPN. 7. HatVPN. 8. sFly Network Booster. 9. One Click VPN and 10.Fast Secure Payment.