Best Practices to Improve the Security of Your Mobile App
It’s time to wake up! Last month was one huge wake up call for all of us running even a part of enterprise system from our computers. WannaCry (or WannaCrypt) ransomware hit the entire world and spread so quickly not because your desk receptionist opened a few shady emails, but simply because systems around the globe were not updated!
As silly as that sounds, it is the hard reality that hackers enjoy exploiting. It is so common to overlook security and avoid spending unnecessarily in something that might not occur to you in a decade. That’s like building a skyscraper without earthquake-proof materials — because how often would that happen, right?
It was a tough save with WannaCry as it affected only outdated Windows systems, majorly attacking public sector firms, utility companies and hospitals.
We all know, in technology, loopholes occur first and the solution follows. With most of the tech dependent industries actively moving onto mobile, it’s pretty obvious that exploits are already out there to maybe do something similar on our not-so-smart-phones. It’s just a matter of who has it and when will it fall in the wrong hands — just like the WannaCry exploit was used using leaked NSA information.
So before something goes nuclear on mobile systems as well, let’s make sure to follow these best security practices and stay ahead in the game.
Here’s the ultimate app security checklist!
#1. Secure Code Development
The primary requirement to have a super secure mobile app development is, it must be based on secure coding. Set advanced security norms at the code level, so it is quite hard to crack the code and inject the virus into it. For instance; apply content control methods to limit the copy and paste actions. Through the “Open in” option, developers can restrict the app from opening the malicious content in the app itself.
#2. Enhance Server Side Controls
An ecosystem, in which the mobile app is going to develop, drives the most prevalent security risks. With the poor server side controls, one cannot protect the mobile app and confidential data. Usually, hackers crack the data driven applications and hack the servers by sending inputs and data through the fields of the apps. Moreover, poorly secured back-end APIs and platforms can easily get affected by vulnerabilities.
#3. Robust Code Testing Environment
Since the project starts to end, every phase must be protected by an inclusive array of security standards. Arrange a seamless communication channel amongst the operational team and testers to accelerate the process of bug identification and bug fixing.
Moreover, try to test your app in a real-time environment when it requires verification of download or installation processes. To protect the app from malware, developers can apply versatile methods such as data security testing, penetration testing, and network security testing.
#4. Multi-layered User Authentication
Authenticated user access prevents the entry of hackers. Boost up the security of your mobile app by adding multi-layered authentication process and creating a strong password for each layer. Here organizations can go for in-app security development or a third party software integration to set up multi-channel of user authentication.
#5. Data Storage
Data loss can occur to developers as well as mobile users due to various reasons. This carelessness can be harmful if someone misuses the data. When developers store the data on the client side mobile device and unfortunately the particular device is stolen, then ultimately it’s a data loss to the developers and the client too.
It can also happen at a personal level as well. When user sells their phone at the online marketplace, they usefully ignore the factory setting. So the buyer not only gets the device, but also gets the access to seller’s personal data. So, keep the professional and personal data in a secure place using strong password protection.
#6. Secure Data Transition
Almost all the mobile apps transmit the data between the application and the back-end server in a client-server relationship. If the app has a poor encryption ability, then hackers can easily crack the transition and steal the sensitive data while the information travels across network and server. So, the security of the data transition from mobile app to the server to prevent a hacker from stealing the confidential data or tampering with data in transit.
#7. Mobile app data security
Since hackers are also experts at coding and crack open all doors to glean all the data they want, the first step in ensuring mobile app security is to secure the source data. Other ways to secure your mobile app is:
- Minifying the app
- Adding obfuscation
- Deploying OWASP methodology while coding
Mentioned below is a five-step process for securing the source data of the app:
#8. Data encryption
Encryption is the process of scrambling plain text until it is vague or incorrigible, thus making it useless for cybercriminals to use. Therefore, whatever data is exchanged on the app must always be encrypted.
There are many ways to encrypt the data, one of which is through implementing cryptography. Store data sets in secure containers and make sure none of them are stored locally on the device. Some of the widely accepted cryptographic protocols include SHA-256 for hashing and 256-bit AES encryption.
#9. Extra care of the libraries
Believe it or not, some libraries can make your app highly insecure. The GNU C Library, for example, had a massive security flaw that could allow cybercriminals to crash a system remotely. This glitch went unnoticed for seven years until the library was rectified and re-launched. Therefore, when dealing with third-party libraries, be cautious. Ensure your developers control internal data banks and exercise policy controls at all times.
#10. Authorized API use only
Unauthorized APIs are loosely coded and can grant hackers privileges to misuse the data in the app. Sure, it helps the developers reuse authorization information by caching during API calls; it does not support the app’s security.
Therefore, use a high authentication level (i.e., include passwords, OTP, and other personal identifiers that act as an entry barrier). It is essential to design apps that only accept robust alphanumeric passwords that must be mandatorily renewed every quarter or six months.
Final Thoughts:
In the upcoming time, when we will have a wider network that connects web, mobiles, IOT, cloud, and many more technologies, malware attack will create worse results than what we are suffering these days. Security of data, networks, and servers will become more decisive. Virus injection on the platform will be enough to destroy the entire network and affect severely on all the interconnected technology platforms.
I hope you find the practices useful to read.
Stay connected with us & read our blogs on a regular basis to learn about the more advanced tactics to boost up the security standards of your mobile app.
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The article was originally published at www.intuz.com
