Android Apps Leaking Sensitive Data

Researchers found they were able to intercept information transmission from 8 percent of those they tested

Most mobile users trust that apps from legitimate, high-profile companies—like banking or shopping apps—will handle their sensitive data with care, but a new study says that even encryption technology might not be enough to secure your favorite apps.

Researchers from Philipps University and Leibniz University in Germany examined 13,500 free apps from Google Play and found that about 8 percent contained encryption technology that was vulnerable to "Man in the Middle" (MITM) attacks—where the scammer intercepts data as it travels between the user and its intended target.