The Role Of Security In Mobile App Development

Smartphones are more popular than laptops and desktops. They are easy to transport and can perform almost the same tasks as desktops. Techjury.net reports that mobile users have increased by more than 10 percent in the past year and that nearly 51 percent of time spent online in the USA has been spent on mobile devices.

Nearly all mobile activities are performed on smartphones, including checking the news, checking email, instant messaging and purchasing items online. This can be used to help them make better decisions about their services. The user can suffer if the data stored in these mobile devices is misused.

Mobile app security is an important aspect to be considered during the time of mobile app design services. If you are thinking why, then the below segments can help you have complete clarity. Check it out. 

Mobile Application Security: Overview

Mobile apps are now more popular than desktop applications and users rely on them for the majority of their digital tasks. Users spent 54% of their digital media time in 2015 using mobile apps. These apps have access to large quantities of user data. This data is often sensitive and must be protected from unauthorized access.

All major mobile platforms offer security controls that can be used to assist software developers in creating secure applications. It is often up to the developer to decide from a variety of security options. An attacker can easily bypass security features that have been implemented without proper vetting.

Mobile apps are susceptible to the following common issues:

1. Poor authentication and authorization checks could be bypassed or abused by malicious users or applications.
2. Storing sensitive data or allowing it to be leaked unintentionally.
3. Transmission of sensitive data over the Internet without encryption
4. Data encryption methods that can easily be broken or vulnerable to being used.

These vulnerabilities could be exploited in a variety of ways, including malicious apps on the user’s device or an attacker with access to the same WiFi network as an end user. So, it is important to have focus on security while working on mobile app design and development services. Let’s understand the risks that you need to be prepared for in the below segment.

Common Application Risks

No encryption: Encryption refers to a method for transporting data in encrypted code that cannot be viewed without a secret key. If the devices are not encryption enabled your data might be at huge risk of getting accessed by the cyber attacker and eventually costing you a lot. 

Malicious Code Injection:User Forms can easily be used to inject malicious code or access server data. Certain apps don’t limit the characters that a user can enter in a field. Hackers can insert Javascript into the login form to gain access to private data.

Binary planting: An attacker places a binary file containing malicious codes on a local device file system and then executes the code to take control of the device. You can do this by sending a malicious SMS to the victim or making them click on malicious links. Hackers can place malicious code in legitimate folders and within installer files, and then execute it at will to compromise the device’s security. Binary planting can also lead to reverse engineering, in which attackers attempt to decompile an app’s code and gain access to the core code. Hackers can use the code to exploit vulnerabilities in it and take further malicious actions once it is exposed.

Botnets: Mobile botnets are a form of bots that run on IRC networks made with the aid of Trojans. An infected device can literally cost you a lot as it is created to take access to the device illegally to get access to all the data. 

Hopefully you are clear about the risks that need to be taken care of while you invest in iOS and Android app development services. If you are thinking about how, then the below segment can certainly give you the clarity. Check it out.

Security for Mobile App Development: Integration

Follow these steps to integrate mobile application security into your mobile app development:

1. Audit at the beginning stage: The security group should collaborate with the development group to identify the root causes of mobile app security. This will help you to understand the requirements for application security business coherence.
2. Effective threat modeling: This phase requires that the security group collaborate with the development group in order to identify the areas where sensitive data has been placed. Developers must perform risk demonstration periods in order to secure mobile apps. The code review is where the coding and the development of the framework are done. After the testing process is improved, it’s time to conduct security testing.
3. Risk analysis: Before any mobile app is allowed to be accessed by the client, it is essential that a product passes a quality control. To reduce the risks of a mobile application, it should be thoroughly tested with certain parameters.
4. Assess risk: Once you have identified the basics that are required to limit dangers, it’s important to rank, segment, and execute the fundamentals. The issues that can be quickly resolved for security of mobile apps are easily managed by overseeing the process towards execution of the most reasonable basics.

Tips to improve mobile app security

These are just a few of the many ways you can create mobile apps that are completely secure and safe for your company.

1. Secure code is a must: This is the most vulnerable part of any mobile app that hackers can easily exploit. It is important to create highly secure code for your mobile apps. According to research, malicious code is often found on approximately 11.6 million devices. Cord hardening and signing are the best practices to create high quality code.
2. Encrypt data: This is the most common method to make sure that data transmitted cannot be read by others without encryption. This is the best and most efficient way to protect your data from being misused in a malicious manner. Even if data is stolen, hackers can’t decrypt it, and it is useless for them.
3. Be careful when using libraries. Often, mobile app codes require third-party libraries to build the code. You should not trust any library that you use for app building because most of them don’t have security. You should test your code if you have used different libraries within it. You can crash the system by identifying flaws in the library.
4. Authorized APIs: Hackers have the right to access your data if you use authorized APIs. Hackers can use authorization information caches to gain access to the whole system. Experts recommend central authorization of the entire API to ensure maximum security in mobile application development systems.
5. High-level authentication is a must: The most important part of mobile app security is the authentication mechanism. Mobile apps are vulnerable because of weak authentication. It is important that the developer uses user authentication to protect their app. Passwords are a common method of authentication that cannot be easily broken by hackers.

Summary

Businesses need to understand that mobile app security impacts more than user security. It also affects the brand’s reputation. Users are becoming more aware of security concerns in mobile apps and will choose to use secure apps over apps that can steal their data. App developers need to focus on security and create apps that meet the users’ needs.

App developers and users are increasingly concerned about mobile app security. An app that isn’t adequately secured or vulnerable to data breaches could be uninstalled by users.

You might feel more at ease hiring an expert to secure your app.

You can easily connect with the best custom mobile app development company experts or hire an expert developer in application security to help you quickly and economically secure your application.

Author Bio

Alicia works with the editorial team of A3logics, a leading company offering IT Consulting Services. Exploring the latest technologies, reading about them, and writing her views have always been her passion. She seeks new opportunities to express her opinions, explore technological advancements, and document the details. You can always find her enjoying books or articles about varied topics or jotting down her ideas in a notebook.