The world is running on Android. How safe is the world?

Android Patient Facing Apps report: Part 2

In part two of our series of key findings from our whitepaper on iOS Android Patient-Facing Mobile Apps, Irdeto’s CMO Steeve Huin discusses the Android app explosion and wonders if there are any particular reasons that companies should be concerned:

The many reasons you should care about Android Apps

Did you know that Android runs on 80% of the world's smartphones? It's easy to see why there has never been a more important time to implement strong cybersecurity measures for Android platforms, especially when exchanging protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII),or any information relating to an identifiable person.

The Android app market is exploding

Technology has significantly changed our lives. And really, it’s not just a "change" but more of a complete transformation in the way we used to live our lives. From exercise, entertainment and work, apps have a huge part in managing our lives. Have a problem?  There’s an app for that! And it’s good business. In fact, some mobile app revenue has risen to the point where it exceeds the total GDP of well-developed countries. The impact of mobile apps is now rooted so deep in our lives, that we could not even think of living without them. Can you imagine dialing a phone number to call a taxi? Or reading a map to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B?  Not anymore. We've made apps a part of our lives, and would now have trouble surviving without them. Many people now suffer from social addiction, unable to get off their Instagrams. Apps have even created a new stigma, known as, "The Social Dilemma."

The opportunity of mobile apps

According to Statista, mobile apps generated US$461.7 billion in 2019, with a big chunk is going to gaming apps. Over US$19 billion was spent on Mobile Games in the second quarter of 2020, and Mobile Games revenue in  is projected to reach US$55,315 million. Even the amount of time we spend connecting with people via apps is increasing: did you know adults spend an average of four hours and 39 minutes communicating on mobile apps in the US?

Mobile apps are generating great value

As the average smartphone user swipes their phone over 80 times a day, it's not surprising that Android App usage has reached an all-time high. According to data provided by Statista, the number of users and market share for Android has steadily increased since 2014 (approximately 130 million users in the US by the end of 2019), illustrating how important Android and its security is for telemedicine app providers.

Apps can change your life

Additionally,  new and exciting apps have changed how we live our lives and helped us professionally. You can now find many apps to help you succeed in your industry. Whether you are a marketer, chef, engineer, artist, teacher, student or any other professional, you can grow at a higher pace using useful mobile apps. As a matter of fact, these apps can help you implement the latest technology in a beneficial way for your business.

The risks are rising

Unfortunately, Android’s history of preserving critical data isn’t great. When you take all these facts into account with the open-source nature of Android, it can create cause for concern. There are also the increasing risks of human errors that can occur while modifying the Google-owned operating systems. Android’s effect and dominance on the market continues to evolve at a rapid pace. As apps continue to complement – and sometimes run – our lives, it’s important that security risks are mitigated so that we’re kept safe. Stay tuned: the next part of our series will delve into some key findings that the Android Patent-Facing Telemedicine Whitepaper discovered! Got questions? Irdeto offers modular cybersecurity solutions and services to smaller startups to help them scale up their cybersecurity capabilities. Call us to see what we can do for your business. 

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