What App? – Vetting Apps for Your Phone and Tablet
Categories: Best Practices Cyber Security Awareness Month Security
Picture it. Oklahoma, 2025. It’s summer. It’s hot, humid, and the cicadas are deafening. I’m scrolling through emails, trying to stay cool with a tall glass of iced tea and my phone rings. It’s my mother-in-law and she’s got a story to tell. International travel, deadlines closing in, eVisa? The government sanctioned app she had to use for a new eVisa system wasn’t available for her mobile phone, so she downloaded another app that claimed it could do the same thing – for nearly 4x the original fee. Suddenly that iced tea wasn’t so refreshing.
Mobile devices, like cell phones and tablets, have app stores with seemingly endless app options. These options can be difficult to navigate: once you think you have the app you need and start setting up yet another account to use the app, you realize that maybe that wasn’t the legitimate one. Was it the first option in the Apple App store? Was it the green one or the blue one in the Google Play store? They both look the same, or do they? Here are a few tips to keep you, your data, and your wallet safe.
Check the Developer
Notice the app publisher. Well-known companies or verified developers are more trustworthy. Developers who want to steal your information and your money do not have a large web presence or may not have a web presence at all. For example, them may have a Facebook page or Instagram account only.
Read Reviews and Ratings
Check for consistent, positive reviews and high ratings. Be cautious of apps with very few reviews or overly generic 5-star ratings—they might be fake. Users who post mid to low reviews are often more specific about the issues they experience and even post warnings for others if they believe the app is misrepresenting or malicious.
Check Update History
Legit apps are regularly updated to fix bugs and improve features. A list of fixes and added features are usually listed on the app’s store page along with dates these were applied. Links to the developer website explaining these changes may be included. If the app hasn’t been updated in a long time, it might be abandoned or unsafe.
Review Permissions
Be wary of apps asking for unnecessary permissions (e.g., a flashlight app asking for access to your contacts). You can review permissions before installing the app and adjust those permissions during the setup or after the app is installed. This information is found under App Privacy if using the Apple Store, and Data Safety if using the Google Play store. Unnecessary access to certain features and data can allow malicious apps to access and take information stored on your phone or tablet. This information can be sold to other malicious actors by the developer.
Visit the Official Website
Check if the app is mentioned on the company’s official website. If a website directs you to their app, make sure the information in the app store matches the information on the website. Developer or company name, contact information and company logo should be consistent in both places. If the app is promoted through shady websites or social media ads only, be cautious.
App Store Protections
Download only from official app stores (Google Play Store, Apple App Store). Avoid downloading APKs from third-party sites unless you’re absolutely sure they’re safe.
Search for Red Flags
Look up the app name + “scam” or “malware” online. If others have had bad experiences, you’ll likely find warnings. Keep an eye on the news for stories of data breaches through apps or companies who have had a cyberattack. If you already have the app installed, remove your information from the app and uninstall it until it’s proven safe to use.
If you still aren’t sure about the app you’re about to click on, contact us in Agriculture IT or ask a trusted friend or family member for help investigating the app or completing your task another way. My mother-in-law did go on her trip. The government-sanctioned app wasn’t supported on her phone’s software version, but we found a way to upload all the necessary information on the government’s website and paid the exact fee.