Tips for Secure Mobile Application Development
11 Apr 2014
Smartphones are a powerful platform for the enterprise, with new & more mobile apps launching the market each day. With this fast-moving period of innovation and efficiency, is security filling the gap?
Today, developing a mobile app that is secure in the advancing technological culture is of prime importance, as apps and mobile devices rely on enterprise data — including contact information, email, documents, photos, and can be vulnerable to digital attacks, breaches, and real-time hacking. We are sharing a few mobile app security tips here in this article.
Technology is evolving at a greater pace and with it, has come an era of mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets are popular amongst people and more mobile apps hit the market each day. The growth of mobile app development has, however, brought along with it various security issues. For developers, it is of highest importance to develop mobile applications that are secure for its users.
Developing a secure mobile app has become a priority for enterprises
Each mobile app is different and hence requires a different security measure based on the data it uses and extracts. Hence, developers should adopt data security practices that are flexible and apply to various apps developed.
Mobile App Security Tips
-
Data Collection and Security
-
Knowledge of Mobile Platforms
-
Design or Architecture Testing
-
Manual Verification
-
Dynamic and Static Verification
Enterprise mobile app developers generally have a set of rules and regulations in place, but many a times lack focus on ‘mobile app security’. In each organization, there should be set security standards and guidelines with respect to mobile application development. Organizations need to ensure that these standards and guidelines are maintained and implemented by developers.
Secondly, security of the mobile app developed should not be dependent on a third party such as the mobile device manufacturers or OS providers. Developers should be careful with the data they collect as well. Once the data is not required, it should be deleted. For secure mobile app development, developers possess the final line of defense.
Mobile apps are developed on various platforms, and each has its own APIs providing platform-specific security features. Hence, having in-depth knowledge of the platform for which the app is being developed and adopting the code accordingly is extremely important. Although there are inbuilt mobile application security features in the platform, developers should understand and implement them properly for developing a secure mobile app.
Developers should understand the associated risks with mobile applications and its impact on the organization. Hence, a thorough design and architecture review of the mobile app should be conducted with the thread modeling technique. This helps in uncovering potential risks before the mobile app is actually deployed.
After the design and architecture, testing is conducted; manual verification should also be carried out for establishing mobile app security. The scope and level of manual verification can be determined on the basis of the amount of potential risk posed by the app. Another factor that will determine multiple levels of verification are the application size and complexity. The verification will be conducted through iterative code reviews and penetration testing.
Developers, during secure mobile app development, should evaluate the mobile code using static approaches and make sure that bad API’s are not triggered. They should also make sure that the other mobile application security controls are coded appropriately. For dynamic verification, there is very little available yet. However, static and dynamic verification is improving at a fast pace.
Rishabh Software has developed over 100+ mobile applications with its dedicated team of developers. Our experts at Rishabh Software, have the expertise and adopt the aforementioned tips for mobile app security. Call us at 1-877-RISHABH (1-877-747-4224) or fill in the contact form for more information.
Android Application Design Tips to Create Intuitive Mobile Apps
Android app development is a tricky task and needs to be executed with care. Here are some Android UI design tips for making your app better and popular amongst users. Developers all over the globe are speedily adopting the mobile trend for getting their ideas of apps recognized.
Best Practices to Secure Mobile Applications Against Cyber Security Threats & Vulnerabilities
Mobile applications today allow us to do everything online. They can access everything, from online banking to shopping and even controlling home devices. The simultaneous technology upgrade results in reporting of activities that expose the user related important information.
Challenges of Enterprise Mobile App Development
Mobile app development has become a great challenge for developers today. Mobile devices have spread across a wide spectrum – from smart phones to tablets. Although mobile app development now has a wider scope, the new landscape has brought along new challenges for developers. Developers have to consider what devices to target and how to create apps that are simple yet effective.
7 Cyber Security Tips For Small Business – Secure Your Data
The digital world continues to witness new technologies every day, helping small to mid-sized businesses conduct business 24×7 and reach customers instantly.