Chances are, if you have a smartphone, you’ll also have a music app that you use on a daily basis. But did you know that there are potential data breach dangers related to the use of music apps?
Music apps are incredibly popular. So much so, that the top four music apps worldwide all have over one million downloads. The most popular – Spotify – has a staggering 3.6 million downloads alone!
But, while the popularity of music apps is unquestionable, their security isn’t quite so concrete. If the past few years are anything to go by, the number of data breaches in every industry is on the rise, with music apps being no exception to the rule.
There is a risk that an app data breach can happen at any time, and could involve any individual or company. This is why educating yourself on the potential dangers is incredibly important. In this post, we outline the data breach dangers that face music apps, and why they could be a potential target for cyber criminals and fraudsters.
Reasons Why Music Apps Could Pose a Data Breach Risk
Music Apps Store Huge Amounts of Personal Data
If you haven’t already noticed, music apps store huge amounts of personal data, much of which could be potentially exposed if the company running the app were to be attacked. Music apps tend to store information on their servers such as names, email addresses, phone numbers and social media information, all of which can be very valuable for cybercriminals.
While a cybercriminal may not be able to directly commit a crime such as fraud with this sort of data, they may be able to carry out what’s known as a ‘phishing’ attack. This is where they use the information they already have, such as an email address, to pose as a legitimate source and steal even further sensitive information.
A common phishing attack would be for a cybercriminal to pose as the Music app, sending an email to a user claiming that something has gone wrong with their payment details, and that they need to be updated.
Music Apps Are a Top Target for Hackers
Because music apps store so much personal data, and are so popular among smartphone users, they’re immediately a top target for hackers and cybercriminals.
Many people may assume that, because some music apps are so popular, their security systems are too sophisticated to be breached. However, the reality is that that no company or phone app is too big to suffer from a data breach. This means music apps are often ripe for the picking in the eyes of cybercriminals.
There Have Multiple Music App Data Breaches in Recent Years
Over the past few years, there have been multiple examples of major music apps suffering data breaches that leaked the personal data of its users.
One recent example includes Shazam!, where a vulnerability in the app’s security revealed users’ location data. Another was Spotify, who were forced to reset passwords after a security bug exposed users’ private account information.
What Are the Potential Consequences of a Music App Data Breach?
For the Music App
Financial Loss
The most immediate consequence of a data breach for a music app would be financial loss. Costs may include:
- Having to provide compensation for affected users
- Setting up an investigation into the breach
- Investing in new security measures
- Legal fees
- Regulatory penalties from organisations such as the Information Commissioner’s Office
Reputational Damage
If a music app suffers a data breach, they’re likely to suffer significant reputational damage as a result. This stems from the fact that data breaches can become global news stories in a matter of hours, especially if multiple users are affected and the matter includes elements such as ransomware or the dark web.
If a music app develops a poor reputation for managing customer data, they’re likely to suffer some significant long-term damage.
Legal Action
Under data protection regulations, organisations are legally obligated to protect their users’ data. Failure to achieve this is likely to result in legal action being taken, which can cause widespread disruption and negative press – far from ideal.
For the Individual User
Immediate Risk of Identity Theft or Fraud
If someone’s personal data is exposed in a music app data breach, then they are at risk of suffering from identify theft or fraud. As we touched on earlier, there is a risk that someone could become the victim of a phishing attack as result of their personal data falling into the wrong hands.
In the worst-case scenarios, users could also experience direct identity theft, as cybercriminals pose as them using the stolen data.
Psychological Damage
There’s no getting around the fact that being a victim of a data breach can be an incredibly traumatising experience. This is even the case if someone hasn’t necessarily experienced direct financial loss from the event.
If someone’s data is lost in a breach, they’re likely to be feeling apprehensive about the future and unwilling to trust companies with their data moving forwards. They may also be apprehensive about what actions they’ll be able to take moving forwards, such as claiming data breach compensation.
Threat to Safety
Depending on the type of personal data that is exposed, there may also be a threat to personal safety for affected individuals. You wouldn’t want anyone you don’t trust to know your address and contact details. So, if a criminal or fraudster has that same information, the situation can be understandably daunting.
Are You Concerned About Music App Data Breaches?
In this post, we’ve covered the things you might need to know about the threat of music app data breaches, as well as the potential consequences of being involved in one.
Have you got any more questions or concerns regarding music app data breaches? If so, feel free to leave them in the comments below so we can keep the discussion going!
Photo 2 – Fixelgraphy via Unsplash
Photo 3 – Sai Kiran Anagani via Unsplash