Protecting Your Digital Life: A Simple Guide to Mobile App Security for Everyday Users and Small Business Owners

Look at your phone right now. Count the apps. Each one knows something about you – where you live, what you buy, who you talk to, how you spend your money.

For most of us, these apps are essentially our everyday tools. For hackers, they're potential goldmines to exploit. Not to scare you, but every app holds fragments of personal data that, in the wrong hands, can be pieced together to uncover sensitive and private information. Hackers can use this data for identity theft, financial scams, or even to profile and target you with personalized phishing attacks. But here's the thing: you don't need to be a tech expert to protect yourself. You need to know what I'm about to tell you. But before that, let's talk about Sara.

Sara’s morning started like any other Tuesday. As usual, she was sipping her coffee prepared for her by her husband, Jeff - every morning before leaving for work.

While resting on a grey riser recliner and having a good time with her coffee, she scrolled through her usual shopping app gradually adding items to her cart for her small online accessories business since she was an online vendor.

She had no idea that this typical morning would become a nightmare that would change her countenance costing her both money and trust.

Two days later, her phone buzzed with multiple debit alerts. These were all unauthorized transactions totaling about $4,800.

“What am I seeing, how did this happen? “She exclaimed!”

Unfortunately for her, some unknown intruder or hacker somewhere had not only accessed her shopping app account but had also managed to get into her linked business bank account using her login details, passwords, PIN, etc.

The most scary part was that Sara had no idea how this happened and how this incident was even possible. “This is the same shopping app I use almost daily, just like millions of other people. And they’re well-known and popular too”, she lamented to the bank’s customer support representative addressing her complaint. “I thought they were safe.” “If anyone was to tell me that this is possible, I wouldn’t have believed them until this happened to me”, “Oh God! How can I get my money back.”

Even though this story isn't real, this is something that has occurred to someone before and might even occur to the person reading this right now who might have encountered something related to this or close to this.

Sara's story isn't unique. Last year alone, 92% of companies experienced an application-related breach last year with over 60% coming from mobile app users. Just like Sara, many people never realize how or when their information was compromised. The app you use daily on your smartphones holds pieces of your digital life – and potentially, your vulnerability.

True? Let us take a look at this.

Your fitness app is regularly keeping track of your daily exercise activities, right? On the other hand, your food delivery service knows your favorite meal and keeps suggesting the order to you every time you open that app. Not to scare you but each of these software/apps is gradually learning about your day-to-day lifestyle - digital life - both on and off your phones. You can now see that it holds a piece of your vulnerability waiting to be exploited if exposed, triggered, or ignored.

Let’s reason!

Think about your smartphone for a moment. How many apps did you open today? The weather app knows your location almost all the time, the social media apps with your photos, or maybe the banking app you use to process customer payments. Every single one is a window into your life, and like any window, it needs proper locks to close it and of course, specific keys to open it.

The truth we've been ignorant of for so long is this, you don't need to be a tech bro or a tech girl to protect yourself. Sara's story could have had a different ending if she had some basic knowledge and followed simple precautions – the same knowledge I'm about to share with you in this guide.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business owner juggling multiple apps for your online store, or someone who's just curious about mobile privacy, or simply someone who wants to better protect their personal information, this article is your straightforward guide to understanding and protecting your digital life – no technical jargon, just practical solutions that work in the real world.

Note that this article was written particularly to address four sets of people;

1. Regular smartphone users who can’t go through a day without opening a mobile app on their smartphone (especially the business owners using multiple apps).
2. For people who want to have basic knowledge about mobile privacy, risks, and security.
3. For anyone who cares so much about their personal data protection and needs practical tips for safer app usage.
4. And lastly, for anyone who may not have any technical background but needs to make informed decisions.

Since this article was written for these people, we made sure to

1. Use clear, non-technical language.
2. To avoid using complex coding concepts and heavy tech jargon.
3. To also explain all technical terms used in this article relating it to real-world scenarios.
4. My focus was basically on practical implications and solutions alone.
5. I Included actionable tips and recommendations.

Let’s get started! 😁

Your Mobile Apps Know More Than You Think

Assuming you are eating out with a friend for lunch having nachos at an American restaurant. You suddenly remembered that you had an appointment to confirm and decided to check the date scrolling through your phone.
In just five minutes, you’ve checked your time of appointment, you’ve also checked the weather for tomorrow, liked a friend's Instagram post, and ordered groceries for delivery to your apartment.

Seems harmless, right?

Let's peek behind the curtain of what just happened in those five minutes:

• Your appointment checker app now knows all your appointments for that day, week, and/or month.
• Your weather app now knows not just your location, but your daily routine.
• Your social media app records not only your likes but when you're most active online.
• Your grocery app stores your address, payment details, and shopping preferences.

It's like having someone following you around with a notebook, jotting down everything you do – except it's happening digitally, often without you noticing.

Now, I understand the fact that you might be saying that they are regular apps that everyone makes use of, but that’s exactly what makes them perfect targets for breaches by hackers.

Let's consider someone. We’ll call that person Mr A because of this scenario. Mr A is a regular sales rep who always uses food delivery apps to aid his small business online. What he thought was that he was just ordering some ingredients, but you wouldn't believe that his apps knew about them;

• His delivery address (mapping out where he operates)
• His preferred payment pattern (indicating his cash flow)
• His regular ordering schedule (suggesting when his business might be the busiest)
• His supplier preferences (revealing his business relationships)

Although each piece of information might seem harmless on its own. But together, they create a detailed picture of Mr A’s life – or his business – that could be valuable to the wrong people.

That’s because his contact info, financial details, personal habits, device information, location, and so on are known and being collected as data by these apps. It's synonymous with giving someone the keys to your house, your diary, and your wallet all at once.

Well, the good news is that you don’t need to get scared and delete all your apps or become a tech bro or tech girl as I said earlier. You just need to be aware and take some simple precautions, which we'll cover in the next sections.

The Hidden Risks In Your Pocket

Do you remember the last time you lost your house keys? That panic you felt? Oh yeah! It was bad, right? Now what someone else you don’t know, maybe a thief had a copy of every key you own – not just to your house, but to your entire life. That's what mobile app vulnerabilities can feel like, except you might not even know your "keys" have been copied.

Let us take a look at some real-life situations where certain apps were breached and the digital window was left unlocked.

First, we take a look at a case involving Debby, an African American woman who was shopping online. In her own words, she shares, "I saved my credit card details on five different shopping apps for convenience. When one app was breached, hackers had access to my full card details. They went on a shopping spree before I even noticed.”

However, what occurred is that storing payment information in multiple apps is just like making copies of your credit card – the more copies that exist, the higher the risk of one falling into the wrong hands.

Secondly, let us examine the experience Paul had on social media. In his own words, he also said: "I posted photos of my handmade jewelry business on social media. I didn't realize the photos contained metadata showing exactly where each picture was taken – including my home workshop address."

The overlooked reality of things is that every photo you share online may be revealing more than just an image. Your location data, time stamps, and even device information can be embedded in these files.

Lastly, let's assess the concerns made by Gloria to her mom. She narrated; "I did access my business banking app on public WiFi at my favorite cafe. One day, I noticed strange transactions I never made. Could that have been the cause?"

Yeah, it might be the cause. Making use of public WiFi is like having a conversation in a crowded room – you never know who might be listening.

Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

Let me rephrase this, “what are those red flags you're probably missing or you’ve ignored for a while now?
First, some apps ask for permissions that they don’t need. For instance, why does a calculator need access to your contacts? Is it really necessary for that gaming app to require access to your location?

Secondly, you’re experiencing fast battery drains and usual behaviors from your phone. Let's say because of apps running in the background when closed or sudden increases in data usage and so your phone starts getting unusually hot.

Thirdly, you receive strange notifications that pop up even when apps are closed ads being in places they shouldn't be, or even messages about services you never signed up for.

These are just a few red flags you probably aren’t paying attention to that might cause open windows to your phone.

Real Impact on Small Businesses

Take David's Corner Bakery as an example: He used multiple delivery apps for his business and each app had access to customer information, his daily earnings, popular order times, and delivery addresses.

When one app had a security breach, competitors suddenly knew its peak hours, best-selling items, and regular customers' details.

Quick Check: Ask Yourself These Questions

• How many apps can access your camera right now?
• Which apps know your home address?
• Do you know which apps are sharing your data with "third parties"?

If you're unsure about any of these answers, don't worry – a lot of other people are not sure about this too. In the next section, we'll cover exactly what you can do to protect yourself, using simple steps anyone including you can follow.

And yes, “You don't need to be paranoid, just get prepared for it.”

Protecting Yourself: The Basics Anyone Can Do

At late hours, if you are going to sleep, it's normal for you to ensure that all your doors and windows are properly closed and locked to prevent any possible passerby or intruder from entering your house. That is you protecting your house, keeping it safe from exploitation and harm. Compared to your house, what if your phone security is like that where you don’t need a high-tech security system to be safe or feel safe? Sometimes just locking your doors and windows properly is enough.

Let's break down these digital locks into simple, actionable steps anyone can follow.

Review your allowed permissions (if at all possible, complete this today):
Go to the settings on your phone, check the permissions of the apps, and ask yourself, "Does this app need this access?"

For instance, if your touch app is requesting your contact access, deny it immediately; if a solitaire game wants to know your location, deny it; what about if a map app needs your location, you accept it, because it makes sense for a map app to know your exact location; what happens if a camera app asks for camera access, it makes sense, so you accept it.

Before clicking on "Accept”/”Allow," you should ask yourself questions like; why does this app need this permission? If I don’t accept it, what could go wrong? Is there a less risky option?

In a situation where an app demands more permissions than necessary, look for alternatives to it or use the web version of the app instead of installing it into your smartphone or PC.

Create solid security without dealing with technical issues that might arise by using different passwords for different apps, enabling two-factor authentication whenever possible, and lastly, making sure the operating system of your phone is always up to date.

For business owners, it's better to create separate profiles/accounts for personal and business use.

Special Section for Small Business Owners

On a rainy Friday, I stayed back at the entrance of a restaurant close to my office. While waiting for the rain to stop I met this blondie with a British accent, Ava. We got talking and shared a lot of stories and ideas including our businesses. Ava owns an online fashion boutique and uses her smartphone to run her business from the comfort of her home. In-depth of our conversation, she said, Joseph,

"I use my phone for everything – Instagram for marketing, payment apps for transactions, delivery apps for shipping, and messaging apps for customer service. It's very convenient for me, but sometimes I wonder if I am putting my business at risk?"

Let's take a look at what is at stake in her business:

    - Customer data (names, addresses, preferences)
    - Payment information
    - Business financial records
    - Supplier contacts
    - Marketing strategies
    - Sales History

Separate Personal from Professional

If you’re a business owner, you know it's not proper to keep your shop's cash in your wallet. The same principle should be applied to your online business and digital assets. For her to protect her online business from hackers, these are the things she should do or put in place.

    - Create separate business profiles/accounts.
    - Use different email addresses for business and personal apps.
    - Consider using a phone that is dedicated only to your business. 

Although it's not 100% certain that this will always protect your business however it's better to be safe than sorry.

Receiving and Sending Payments From Customers

Since you know that your customer’s trust and privacy are part of your business reputation, when a customer pays you, protect their trust and privacy like your own revenue because their trust in you is part of the transaction. However, to increase business deals and trust in you, here are essential tips you should consider;

    - Only use well-known payment processing apps.
    - Never store customer card details in regular notes.
    - Enable all available security features in your payment apps
    - Keep customer information organized and secure.
    - Delete sensitive data once it's no longer needed.
    - Use secure cloud storage for backups.

For your social media accounts safety,

    - Use strong, unique passwords.
    - Enable two-factor authentication (like I said earlier)
    - Be careful with third-party apps that request access.
    - Have a monthly review of your connected apps.

Two weeks after our encounter, Ava’s Instagram was hacked because a "marketing helper" app she installed had weak security. She was out for 3 weeks which cost her business a lot of lost sales and damaged her customer’s trust.

Smart App Decisions

Downloading a new app into your phone is no different from hiring someone to work in your business at home. Both require getting something or someone new to handle a task. Of course, you will have to check their background first to make your final decision, right? Similarly, you can apply that same smart thinking to your app choices. Making smart choices on which kind of app you’ll need to get or download requires a thoughtful, systematic approach to decision-making. I designed an infographic to put you through with it. 👇 👇

Secondly, to find safer alternatives for an app that didn’t reach the standards according to the smart app decision guide, you can use the “Finding Safer Alternative” formula I put together.

Now, before you download an app you have to run this👇 quick evaluation checklist first.

Even after running the evaluation test and you’ve gained trust in the app, you still move to a stage I call the "Trust But Verify" stage. This is a stage where you make use of the approach shown below:

It’s important to know that every app on your phone is either a tool or a potential risk. Just make sure that the benefits always outweigh the risks."

Suppose your app shows any of the signs below, 👇👇 you should just kindly delete it and seek alternatives. But, if deleting an app makes you nervous about losing your data, then you should have a backup plan.

Your Privacy Toolkit

You’ll agree with the fact that since there’s so much sensitive data stored in your smartphone, it's important for you to protect your privacy. This toolkit provides simple, practical steps to keep your smartphone safe and secure.

What if something goes wrong, these 👇 are action plans you can follow 😏

Conclusion

Think back to Sarah's story from the beginning - one ordinary morning turned into a costly nightmare for her. However, her story didn't have to end that way if she was aware of the dangers of not protecting her digital life, and neither do you if you adhere to all we’ve discussed so far.

Throughout this guide, we've walked you through:

    - How apps collect and use your data.
    - The real risks hiding in your pocket
    - Practical steps anyone can take.
    - Essential tools for protection
    - Simple daily habits that make a huge difference

And so after coming this far through to this point, your first step in protecting your digital life should be to:

    - Choose three actions from this article.
    - Do them today
    - Schedule your next security check
    - Share this knowledge with others

Protecting your phone privacy involves more than just protecting your personal and professional data. It involves protecting your life's story, your business's future, and your peace of mind. And so the most important thing to do right now is to take the bull by its horns and Start now. Start somewhere. Start today. Your future self will thank you.