Pokemon GO!
Pokemon GO! Yes, we know what it is! A few weeks ago, Pokemon GO came out officially in the U.S. Smartphone users are downloading this in a large number. Players are enjoying and giving positive reviews about it. However, there are some risks as many experts are suggesting. Experts are saying that Pokemon GO has some vicious security risks, and that’s not all. Those security holes are also focusing on authentication data of the application. It means, your apps account is not entirely safe. Let’s talk about the Pokemon GO security issues.
How? Well, let me explain, to run Pokemon GO, you need to have an account. It can be Google or either a pokemon.com official account. Most of the players are using their Google accounts rather than an official Pokemon account. So, the Google authentication turned out to be much riskier.
How can “Pokemon GO” be a Big Threat?
When a player uses a Google account to authenticate Pokemon GO security, the user not only allows the apps to get connected to that Google account but also the authentication process will not give you notice about your account login process. Therefore, some expert claimed that Pokemon GO has the full accessibility to the Google account. That’s a total risk, isn’t it? I am sure you know what you need to know about the internet security tips, but maybe just to remind yourself about those, read and learn from the best sources and get your knowledge updated.
What Experts are Saying about Pokemon GO security?
According to Adam Reeve (Principal Architect of RedOwl), Having the full authority of your Google account, Pokemon GO can now read your mail or can even send an email on your behalf! So, it’s easy to get access to your Google drive and get the full control over the documentation. So, it’s Niantic who can easily use this power to steal or observe our personal data through the Pokemon GO.
Other Reports
However, Niantic never claimed this but still it can be. Another report shows that iOS users can face the threat in a larger amount other than the Android users. Well, Android user requires the same functionality and authentication process like iOS users but on Android, Pokemon GO will not gain the full control over the Google account. But it doesn’t matter which OS you use; Pokemon GO will know your GPS data and location. However, Niantic has announced that getting into an account was a bug which they have fixed already.
Niantic’s Comment
According to Polygon, the CEO of Niantic says,
“We recently discovered that the Pokémon GO account creation process on iOS erroneously requests full access permission for the user’s Google account. However, Pokémon GO only accesses basic Google profile information (specifically, your User ID and email address) and no other Google account information is or has been accessed or collected.
Once we became aware of this error, we began working on a client-side fix to request permission for only basic Google profile information, in line with the data that we actually access. Google has verified that no other information has been received or accessed by Pokémon GO or Niantic. Google will soon reduce Pokémon GO’s permission to only the basic profile data that Pokémon GO needs, and users do not need to take any actions themselves.”
Other Security Question
Another security concern came to the surface by Pokémon GO is counterfeit versions of the app in markets wherever the app isn’t published yet (outside the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand). Attackers take advantages of people’s anticipation in those markets by frequently releasing new, malicious versions of the app. information security company Proof Point has found a fake version of Pokémon has been found on an unofficial Android app store that conjointly contains the DroidJack remote access tool (RAT). Users in countries where Pokémon GO hasn’t officially launched are putting themselves in danger by downloading Pokemon GO from unofficial sources.
So, this is how Pokemon GO has some Pokemon GO security issues with it.
No, you don’t have to ignore this app at all. Because, as you already know that the bug has already been fixed and the other issues will be solved anytime soon. As a user, you just need to be careful about your security and protection. Just make sure that, if you are from the region or country where Pokemon GO is not yet available, then please do not download any unofficial or fake version of it. Because you know that it can cause severe damages to your privacy and device.
If you have not downloaded Pokemon GO yet then do it right here:
For Android: Pokemon GO (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticlabs.pokemongo&hl=en)
For iOS: Pokemon GO (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pokemon-go/id1094591345?mt=8)
Final Words
Hope this article about Pokemon GO security helped you more or less.
Good luck. In the era of the information, don’t let yourself be uneducated. Learn more about the cyber security tips.