How to Ensure Mobile App Security – Checklist for Developers

Ever since mobile applications have started flooding the apps stores, the competition among the developers to provide the best to the general public has become fiercer than ever.

Nowadays, you will find that every purpose you can think of has already been done by some random developers across the globe. And surprisingly, there will be multiple apps that will come for every search you do. And with this increased demand of the applications by the public, comes an even bigger threat which is a security threat.

After congress questioned the CEO of Facebook Mr. Mark Zuccerberg about their privacy terms and conditions, people are aware of security threats more than ever. And deep in the play store, there still exist many applications that are built for the sole purpose of breaching the privacy of users. In addition to this, applications are getting criticized continuously nowadays for their unfair privacy policies, which are forcing companies to change their privacy terms constantly.

Also, hackers are now growing at a faster rate than ever. And therefore, every app development company around the world which has its apps published on various play stores is updating their systems and apps every day or at least a week to ensure no one is using their app and breaching its security systems. Banks and financial institutions are also constantly monitoring their mobile banking applications, which can be a clear target of an unethical hacker. So what are points that a developer should look out for when he/she is developing an app of his own? Let’s discuss this deep topic now and aware the general public in the app developing industry about the Dos before publishing their app.

1. Evaluate all the open-sourced material you got

In a world where almost nothing comes for free, open-sourced codes are one of those things that are a boon for many developers. But these same open-sourced codes often contain dangerous vulnerabilities. Attackers more than often exploit these same open-source codes and keep your security at risk. So, this is the first checkpoint for Mobile App Security and always double-check the codes you utilize and test them by yourself. Also, make sure you have up-to-date info about the Common Vulnerabilities And Exposure list.

2. Secure your code

What hackers often do is that they reverse engineer the code of an app and then exploit the app with all the vulnerabilities in it. So, make sure you secure your code by using software like pro-guard. These software change the methods, class, and attributes names to some random combination of absurd words or made-up names, which makes the whole code incomprehensible. And this becomes a big blockade for hackers.

3. Secure your database

Securing the payment database is one of the most crucial things that the developer has to manage. Because in order to attract the public and for them to stay with the application forever, you need to have a very strong and secured payment database. People won’t use your app if their data get’s leaked. And hence securing and working on the database is one of the most crucial things for Mobile App Security. Also, the client end must be encrypted; otherwise, fishing the data from that end will become much easier and your effort to secure your database will become worthless.

4. Isolate the application data

Applications often require permissions to do various tasks. And therefore, it is very important that whatever you make must not undermine users’ private data. For the user’s to be with you for a long time, you need to build a sense of trust between you and your client. And it won’t be a much lasting relation if they know you are stealing valuable information from their devices. These things specifically matter for apps that are social media-based.

5. Allow only secured connections

HTTPS protocol must be maintained at all times, and even though it allows multi ports access but you should limit the inbound ports for Mobile App Security. This will prevent attacks as apps will grant access to a limited number of services and servers.

Also, any type of unsecured and doubtful scenarios must be carefully analyzed.

Mobile app Security or software application security will never be 100%. Hackers will always find some way or the other to breach the wall that you have built. But that doesn’t mean we should not build walls. Security among the apps is increasing day by day, and it is now almost impossible to breach the security of apps that are checked and reviewed frequently. So, always check and keep checking what you have published online.

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