Best Practices to Develop Secure Mobile Apps

Today, our lives are increasingly centered around our mobile devices. We spend ample hours on this handheld device to accomplish tasks ranging from shopping, banking, and answering emails to tracking our fitness and remotely controlling the thermostat at home.

To achieve streamlined functionality, mobile devices incorporate carefully engineered mobile apps. These apps connect to Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and servers, facilitating the delivery of data and services to end-users.

As apps are getting more advanced, mobile app security attacks are increasing, and as a result, data storage vulnerabilities and functionalities are gaining rapid momentum. Hackers could wreak havoc on mobile devices to identify thefts, inject malicious software, or even take over a company’s back-end network. So how to secure mobile apps?

Best Practices to Build Secure Mobile Apps

Let’s explore Mobile Application Security Tips Over How to Make Mobile App Secure.

Source Code Encryption

The basic difference between web apps and mobile app development lies in the location of the code script. For the web application, the code resides in the backend web or the application server in the data center or even in the cloud. What the user sees is just an interface and has to access data through the internet. But for mobile apps, once the app is downloaded, the app code also resides on the device.

A hacker who downloads the app first looks for weaknesses, gets access to your IP, fills the app with targeted malware, and makes it available to other users. The app should be protected with proper encryption. Modern algorithms used with API encryption can work. Using the obfuscated code would not be sufficient.

Encryption is a method that involves transforming data into an unreadable format to thwart unauthorized access by hackers. There are two primary approaches to encryption:

1. Symmetric Encryption: Symmetric encryption employs a single security key for both the encryption and decryption processes. This means the same key encodes and decodes the data, providing a straightforward yet effective method of securing information.
2. Asymmetric Encryption: Asymmetric encryption, in contrast, utilizes distinct security keys for encryption and decryption. This dual-key system enhances security by having a separate key for each function, adding an extra layer of complexity to the encryption process.

Furthermore, to facilitate seamless updates, developers should ensure the easy portability of codes between the operating system and the device. However, it is crucial to take precautions in securing the codes to prevent any adverse impact on the device’s performance.

Secure Back-end API Connections

Servers and cloud servers accessing an app’s APIs should have security measures to protect data and prevent unauthorized access. Data is particularly vulnerable when an app’s API tries to access its servers and cloud servers. To prevent unauthorized access, we must elevate security measures significantly. Verify the APIs rigorously to actively thwart any attempts at snooping on crucial client information being transmitted back to the app’s database.

The best way to ensure data sent from a client is safe is to use either SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnel.Other methods of secure data storage could be to create encrypted containers. And last but not the least, a network security specialist could conduct what is called, penetration testing, to assess vulnerability of the network and data protection.

Encrypt All Data Till File Level

Robust data encryption mechanisms An excellent way to protect data accurately is to use File-level encryption. To enhance data security, it is imperative to implement measures that prevent unauthorized access even in the event of interception.

To design secure mobile applications, it is crucial to avoid storing user passwords or credit card details. Securely storing sensitive information locally necessitates the implementation of an encrypted storage area. Developers must employ robust encryption algorithms to protect sensitive data during transmission and storage. Adopting end-to-end encryption in the communication between mobile applications and servers is particularly crucial, as it guarantees data integrity and confidentiality throughout the entire data exchange process.

Mobile applications craftily store unstructured data when accessing sensitive information within the local file system or device storage database. However, a significant vulnerability arises as the data within the sandbox lacks effective encryption, posing a potential loophole for security breaches.

To fortify the security within the sandbox environment, it is imperative to incorporate mobile app data encryption. Developers can achieve this by employing SQLite Database Encryption Modules or adopting file-level encryption practices across diverse platforms.

Read More – Top Software Testing Services To Identify Mobile Apps Security Threat.

Authentication and Authorization:

Mobile applications significantly contribute to the influx of user-generated content (UGC), making them susceptible to cyber threats. The absence of a robust user authentication system exposes UGC to potential cyber-attacks, creating opportunities for hackers to compromise user information using social engineering tactics.

Obtaining unauthorized access to user accounts makes exploiting vulnerabilities more straightforward through User-Generated Content (UGC). Implementing advanced user authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, is crucial to counteract this. This additional layer of security ensures that only authorized users can interact with the app, mitigating the risks associated with unauthorized access and potential malicious injections.

To Build Secure Mobile Apps, prioritizing verifying user identity is imperative. It necessitates enforcing robust authentication mechanisms, specifically emphasizing adopting multi-factor authentication. Moreover, adhering to the principle of least privilege in access control measures is essential. This approach restricts user permissions to the bare minimum required for their intended tasks, thereby minimizing the probability of unauthorized access and bolstering overall security.

Implement Secure Session Management

Secure session management is critical to enhancing mobile app security, safeguarding user data, and preventing unauthorized access. Secure session management involves implementing practices like token-based authentication and setting session timeouts. This ensures that user sessions are safe, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access and session hijacking.

Additionally, utilizing secure session tokens and enforcing proper session timeout policies helps mitigate the risk of session hijacking and unauthorized access. Regularly auditing and monitoring sessions, coupled with logging and alert mechanisms, enable the detection of suspicious activities and enhance the overall security posture of the mobile app. A comprehensive approach to secure session management is essential for developing secure mobile apps.

Use the Latest Cryptography Techniques

Staying abreast of the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity is imperative, as even widely adopted cryptographic algorithms such as MD5 and SHA1 frequently fall short of meeting the escalating demands for security. It becomes crucial to stay informed about the most recent security algorithms.

Opt for contemporary encryption techniques like AES, featuring 512-bit and 256-bit encryption, alongside SHA-256 for robust hashing. Furthermore, it is advisable to incorporate proactive measures, including manual penetration testing and thorough threat modeling, into your application development process. Before your applications go live, these precautionary steps should be taken as a critical strategy to ensure airtight security and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Avoid Reverse Engineering with Code Obfuscation:

Code obfuscation is another way to Make Mobile Apps secure. SecureCode obfuscation is a technique that makes the source code more challenging to understand, thereby enhancing security. By obscuring the logic and flow of the code, developers can deter reverse engineering attempts, making it more difficult for attackers to analyze and exploit vulnerabilities.

Keep Code Signing In Practise:

Code signing is a practice that verifies the authenticity and integrity of the app. By digitally signing the code, developers can ensure the app has not been tampered with. Code signing provides users with an additional layer of security and trust. By confirming the integrity and authenticity of the code, code signing practice helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized modifications, malicious injections, and counterfeit versions of the mobile application.

Secure App’s Offline Functionality:

Mobile apps often come with offline capabilities, and making such an app secure requires measures such as local authentication and secure storage of cached data. Implementing security measures for offline scenarios ensures that user data remains protected even when the device is not connected to the internet.

Secure Data Storage:

To build a secure mobile application, handle sensitive information carefully, such as login credentials, personal information, and transaction details, and avoid unnecessary storage on the device. Employ certain storage mechanisms and implement proper key management practices to protect data stored locally on the mobile device from unauthorized access. Updating encryption techniques regularly and following industry best practices for data storage help to strengthen a mobile app’s security against potential cyberattacks and increase its security.

Test and Test Again. The Mobile App

Despite its significance, companies racing to reach the market with their product often overlook this crucial stage in the app development process. Before publishing an app, it is essential to test it for not only functionality and usability but for security as well.

Companies should actively conduct testing for authentication, authorization, and data security. Without implementing stringent security measures during the development of apps, the responsible companies could jeopardize the entire setup, expose valuable customer data, and face the risk of losing out in the competitive landscape of the mobile application market.

Conclusion

Mobile app developers can create more resilient and secure applications by incorporating these best practices into the development lifecycle. The best practices protect user data and mitigate the risks of evolving cybersecurity threats.