Free of charge is not protection: 40% of free apps on iOS and 80% on Android are cracked

Even if you make your application free, it will not save you from hackers, says computer security company Arxan Technology.



According to the company, more than 40% of the 15 most popular free apps on iOS and more than 80% of the most popular free apps on Android are hacked. It is not surprising that for paid applications this indicator is much higher - 92% of the 100 most popular paid apps for iOS and 100% of the most popular paid apps on Android suffered from hackers actions.





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Arxan says that the most typical hack is a free copy. For applications that are already free, remove advertisements, open in-app purchases, and bypass security measures.



Hacked versions of free and paid applications are also often associated with malware, McAfee already says. Now mobile viruses have reached their peak, and among them are two of the fastest growing categories - ransomware, programs that block a device or user data and require ransom for it, and botnets that turn mobile devices into zombies for DDoS attacks or spam.



Conclusions from the current situation Arxan makes clear:

• application protection must be prioritized;
• pay special attention to the protection of payments, transactions, important data;
• consider the security of mobile applications as a completely new area, without applying to it the old methods of protecting web security;
• focus on protecting the integrity of the application, protecting against re-engineering and interventions.