The position of a mobile application developer is certainly not an enviable one. Companies are racing against time to launch apps with reduced time-to-market factor. The goal is to stay ahead of competition. In this mad rush, developers often compromise some fundamental security principles during the development and deployment stages to meet unreasonable deadlines.
Apps heavily rely on confidential user information including, but not limited to name, bank information, location, and contact details. Since mobile apps could be highly vulnerable to hackers and data breaches, we must ensure that security is the primary focus. It is high time that both organizations and developers come to terms with the fact that app is not just about innovation, but it is about security and safe user experience.
But before you begin with the app development process, it is important to realize that an one-size-fits-all approach does not work at all. Each and every mobile application is unique and needs different level of security. Before you get into the intricacies of mobile app security, you need to understand both challenges and opportunities and the critical differences in various operating systems and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
Listed below are steps you can follow through the entire life cycle of mobile app development.
Many times developers overlook basic standards or guidelines set by organizations while creating mobile applications. In some cases, organizations fail to mention security practices to be followed. It is important to have mobile security standards and rigorously apply them. Robust integration of security processes right from the inception stage of app plays a crucial role in the preventing security glitches at the later stages.
Secure app is not just a developer’s ball game. If you are looking to lower the risk factor associated with exposing sensitive data, you need to design your app in such a way. You simply can’t skip the designing stage. After all, the design stage is not all about creativity and colors. App designers need to come up with novel ways to figure out how the bare minimum data should appear in apps or device downloads. App designers can make smart use of icons, typography, or color to limit the data shown.
Identifying and fixing bugs and security loopholes should be your primary focus. You can make use of automated tools to help you fix source code issues. With thousands and thousands of vulnerabilities popping up, you certainly can’t rely only on automated tools for complex security issues. Take help of all resources possible such as peer review. Testing is one of the most important phases in mobile application development. Go through each and every functionality and test for user security. The magnitude and complexity of your app will determine the risks posed to app users and will need multiple levels of verification and testing through code review as well as penetration testing by professional experts.**
App deployment is the stage where the app is finally made available to the user. Again it is important to collaborate with security experts to detect and fix loopholes, if any. Once your app is deployed, you can’t take it easy or think your job is not over. New vulnerabilities surface regularly and need security updates. Have a plan of action ready for implementing security updates. You also regularly need to monitor user feedback to help you solve security loopholes. **
Mobile App Security Best Practices
Only collect absolutely important data, rise above the clutter of information: Minimal information is the best way to curb data abuse/theft. Ask for information that is absolutely crucial. Just think about it in this way the lesser the data you collect, the less you need to worry about protecting the information.
Understand the differences between platforms and eliminate threats to users: Each operating system provides unique set of security features and utilizes different APIs. Don’t be surprised if what works in one platform just might fail in another platform. Research, develop, and adapt code in the best possible manner. While each platform has security features, there are several limitations also. It is the solely developer’s responsibility to take necessary measures to protect users from malicious activities.
Consider protecting data you store on a user’s device: To begin with information should never be stored on the device without having proper control mechanism in place. Always store sensitive data on server. If your app handles sensitive information, you can consider encryption to ensure data protection in case of viruses, malware, or a lost device. At the same time, developers should not refrain from using other methods for protecting data such as programming backup capabilities. This ensures that data is archived regularly. Developers can also consider remote wipe in case of unauthorized use.
Password protection always and at all costs: Never ever store passwords in plaintext. It is recommended to use hash feature for users’ passwords and later verify against hash values. In this way you can protect passwords in case your server is compromised or suffers from a data breach.
Layer Encryption: Mobile applications often function in high-risk or unsafe environments, so transport layer encryption (SSL/HTTPS) is critical. A digital certificate helps in winning your customer’s trust. Ensure you’re using the latest security features in tune with times.
Is your server secure? There is a lot of hullabaloo about mobile app security, but let us not undermine the importance of server towards a more secure backend. Take steps to protect yourself from threats such as injection attacks and cross-site scripting among others. If you are using commercial cloud provider, it is important that you understand your share of responsibility for securing software on the server.
Conclusion: Mobile app security is a comprehensive and intricate process. Think security right from the word go. You save a lot of resources in terms of time, man hours, and money by incorporating right security measures from the start. Double check for security glitches and have an exhaustive check list too ready. Don’t merely depend on automated tools. You need to get in the psyche of hacker, looking for security loopholes and identifying ways to eliminate them. Getting help from expert security professionals is your best bet against security breakdowns.
