The Idaho Statesman recently published an article titled, “Smartphone: The threat in your pocket” featuring the insights of Dr. Dianxiang Xu, Professor of Computer Science. Xu discussed how ordinary mobile applications can hide nefarious software that tracks device use including passwords and personal information. Xu provides some things that mobile device users can look for, when looking at app permissions, to protect themselves. Xu advises that mobile device users not agree to “letting [their] phone share contact lists, GPS locations and other information that apps often don’t need to function.”
