In an effort to protect corporate data from malicious actors, businesses are implementing measures to keep employees away from some of the most popular apps. Among these measures is banning apps that can be used to compromise sensitive business information. MobileIron, a security firm, surveyed over 7,800 companies to identify which applications are the most common culprits. It found that more than half of employees still use banned apps.
While Dropbox is the most widely-used app, it is also one of the most hated. Dropbox is on both the Android and iOS blacklists. It’s important to note that the Android and iOS blacklists often overlap. Some apps are whitelisted on both platforms.
WhatsApp is another app that has been banned in many countries. Chinese authorities have blocked this app since it uses end-to-end encryption, which makes it difficult for governments to read messages without human intervention. This feature made the app a threat to the political climate. Other countries have blocked WhatsApp as a way to boost local telecommunications companies and government revenue. WhatsApp has been blocked by the Chinese government since 1998. It is banned under the Great Firewall of China, which restricts apps that are not compliant with government rules.
In Brazil, WhatsApp is not completely banned, but its payment feature was recently banned by the Central Bank. Although it’s unlikely that the app will be banned entirely, the National Congress is considering app-blocking legislation. It’s also possible to bypass geoblocks using a VPN. ExpressVPN is a popular VPN service that works well for this purpose.
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Why Ban Some Apps in the Office?
Companies have begun enforcing stricter cybersecurity policies to protect themselves from cyberattacks. In order to do this, they recommend that employees use only apps vetted for security. However, a recent survey found that more than half of employees still use apps that are prohibited by the office’s cybersecurity policies.
The app has been blocked by the University of Wisconsin. The ban affects students, campus leaders, and IT staff. It was discovered that the app accessed the company’s email servers, allowing malicious third parties to steal confidential information. This led to a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, which led to the app’s removal.