Within few days of its release, Pokémon Go has been a huge hit among the gamers, but security bloggers are concerned about the security of the users.
The game is free to download, and requests for permission not only to uses smartphone camera and location data but also to gain full access to the user’s Google accounts — including email, calendars, photos, stored documents and any other data associated with the login.
Because of this critics have issued an alert and called the game a “huge security risk” that is invading people’s privacy.
Whereas, its maker Niantic said, "The expansive permission requests were 'erroneous' and that Pokémon Go did not use anything from players’ accounts other than basic Google profile information. Niantic also said it was working on a fix to change the permissions to a level that would be in line with the data that we actually access."
“A number of these games are not only making money by selling you the game, they’re also collecting data about your habits and selling that to third-party marketers,” said Andrew Storms, vice president of security services at the security company New Context.
So to minimise the security risks that come with some apps, here are some information on how to safeguard private information.
Read the Fine Print
Ari Rubinstein, a Silicon Valley security engineer, says during installation most of the software's asks for the access request if you don't feel comfortable then turn down those requests, if you are unsure about the permissions you have already granted, check them on iOS by clicking on Settings.
You just don't worry about permissions, but also need to worry about the data shared.
Regularly audit third-party apps
According to the Rubinstein, as most of the apps use platforms like Facebook and Google to authenticate accounts, regularly check the access you have granted through the settings.
