Technology 24 Apr, 2024.
Mobile app development has become the buzzword in the present as mobile app development has taken the momentum in the IT business world. But do you think developing software in bulk is safe and secure from the hackers’ bad intentions and evil deeds or any 3rd party? Even your simple mobile app can expose your business confidentially, which results in ruining your career and business identity.
A list of cyber-attacks and ill-fated businesses has given the owners a tough time coping with the loss. To avoid security mishaps and provide security to your business against experiencing significant loss, mobile app security is essential to shield mobile apps from fraudulent activities and unexpected attacks like phishing, reverse engineering, malware, network spoofing, spyware, viruses, trojans, etc.
Mobile application development risks include insecure data storage, insecure communication, poor and vulnerable code, weak encryption, etc. So, what robust measures should be taken for app safety while keeping upfront the mobile app security standards? We will discuss some critical points.
Mobile App Security Best Practices
Secure Code
Coding software that wins the heart of many users speaks about your expertise, but making it secure from unwanted and unauthorized access is critical and CAN NOT be ignored. App vulnerabilities, bugs, and errors allow attackers to get into the application and threaten the business or the concerned authority. According to the research, malicious code is why over 11.6 M mobile devices are being affected. The study mentioned that 60% of Android devices quickly get infected, which sometimes transformed apps installed from unauthentic third-party stores or phishing sites. However, 40% of mobile malware originates from windows laptops.
Mobile app developers are required to build an application while keeping mobile app security standards upfront. To avoid security threats and prevent the application from attackers/fraudsters, run a rigorous testing process on each development stage and pre-deployment. Moreover, make your code agile and flexible to easily update, patch, and modify it.
Encrypt Data
Data encryption is the most appropriate form of security that organizations and tech-savvies adopt to strengthen security. Encryption converts the plain text into an unusable form called ciphertext. An unknown person cannot understand the data in the ciphertext. However, such encrypted data can access through the keys. Therefore, this form of data security is most effective for protecting each individual’s privacy from criminals.
The FBI – Apple encryption dispute dictates the power of encryption. The FBI and NSA asked for permission to access the iPhone. Apple has made user security their priority; that is why Apple has become the brand that people have built their trust.
Encryption works by replacing the actual data with another form of data. For example, take a common word, "Security" – this is a plaintext.
When the encryption is performed, each letter will be replaced or swapped by another letter/character like S with X, E with W, C with O … encrypting the word security into the "Xwodypqi" – this is a cyphertext. So, when bulk data is encrypted on an enterprise level, it offers security to each individual’s data, and due to this very reason, data encryption is considered to be the best way to secure the data.
However, cyber security professionals use different encryption methods and types accordingly.
Thorough QA and Security Check
There are five crucial SDLC phases, among which the software testing phase validates and verifies your software product that whether the software meets all specifications and determines whether the project development determines the mobile app security checklist. The problem occurs when the security vulnerability/threat is found post-deployment, which costs the client and ruins the company’s reputation.
Therefore, software developers must run functionality testing on their new code by engaging an expert QA team who tests the software by performing penetration testing and code review. Moreover, threat modeling, security scanning, risk assessment, and other testing methods confirm that software is secure and can eliminate unrecognized third party or malicious activity.
High-Level Authentication
There’s a massive number of digital users today, and therefore, high-level security is required to avoid security breaches that can be controlled by stronger authentication. The authentication encompasses the personal credentials or passwords needed to access your software further.
Users must save a strong password for their security as it decreases the chances of getting attacked. To make this more powerful, most apps encourage users to use two-factor authentication to get notifications whenever a suspicious login attempt occurs.
Read: 13 top mobile app development challenges in 2022
Compelling Cryptography Tools and Techniques
Cryptography has become one of the best techniques to secure networks and digital devices from attackers. Today, more news of data breaches is being reported because hackers have become smart along with technology up-gradation. Therefore, as mentioned above, the importance of data encryption and cryptography has become the shield for innocent software users.
The cyber security experts are leveraged to use numerous cryptography tools and techniques that promise them to fulfill the mobile app security checklist. These cryptography techniques help eliminates the mobile app development risks. Tools like key-based authentication, Dockers containers, security tokens, Microsoft SignTool, JCA (Java cryptography architecture), etc. Moreover, cryptography tools are being evolved and getting advanced along with the introduction of emerging and most adopted technologies like blockchain, AI, IoT, etc.
Benefits?
Nobody wants to be monitored by an unrecognized authority or a person, especially when an individual is concerned with your work. For organizations, on the other hand, considering mobile app security best practices is crucial and should be of top priority. Moreover, if you want to make your new customers permanent, value them. And this can be achieved by offering:
Mobile App Security Best Practices – Cubix Way
The mobile app developers at Cubix never compromise on software security. The team considers all security aspects, from penetration testing to encryption to constant testing and updates. Moreover, to avoid incidents, developers are careful while using third-party libraries while writing secure code.
The expert developers understand that not only stored data but the data in transit also require security to prevent MiTM (man-in-the-middle) attacks in client-server communication. As the company is best for deploying highly-secure and robust mobile apps, considering Cubix for your mobile app development would surely be the best decision.
Wrap Up
We all know that technology will never stop evolving, so cyber attackers will never stop finding new ways to break out into software and harm users in all possible ways. To keep attackers away from your mobile app, risk-free mobile application development standards should be kept upfront that fails the attacker’s every possible attempt to break into your mobile app.
Do you think your mobile application is secure, or have you been a victim of cyber security threats?
We would be happy to protect you from threats/attacks.
Cubix
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