Mobile applications are in great demand today. Statistа says that in the second quarter of 2021, users downloaded 28 billion applications from Google Play and 7.9 million downloads from the Apple App Store. That is why application development is a priority for many IT companies today.
However, creating an in-demand mobile application and monitoring its success is not all. Security is a crucial issue for everything connected with the Internet. And mobile app security is no exception. Saving on security means losing the race for the user. After all, the user chooses security today.
This article will show you the main aspects of application security.
1. Data Encryption
Every piece of data that your application exchanges must be encrypted. Encryption is a way to secure your application using data that is incomprehensible to anyone, except for those with a decryption key. It means that even if the information is stolen, criminals cannot read or misuse anything.
2. Using Data Libraries
When using third-party libraries, you need to be even more careful. Test your code carefully before using it in your application. While applicable, some libraries can be highly insecure for your application. Custom mobile app development should use controlled internal repositories.
3. Use High-Level Authentication
Authentication makes it harder to hack an application. It provides the ability to create passwords and other identifiers that act as barriers to entry. In this case, not everything depends on you. But as a mobile app developer, you can remind your users that use authentication will help them protect their data while using the mobile app.
Multifactor authentication, which includes a combination of a static and a dynamic one-time password, is considered the most secure encryption option today.
4. Deploy The Correct Session Handling
“Sessions” on mobile devices last longer than on computers. It makes it more difficult for the server to handle the session. Use tokens instead of device IDs to identify the session. Enable remote wipe on lost/stolen device, and enable remote logoff.
5. Write Secure Code
If you originally wrote code with bugs and vulnerabilities, it will help attackers break your application faster and put it in danger.
Constantly test and fix bugs as they appear. Design your code to be easy to update and improve. Make sure your code remains flexible so that anyone can edit it on the user side after a violation.
6. Use Robust Cryptography Techniques
The main rule is to never store keys on a local device. Some of the widespread cryptographic protocols such as MD5 and SHA1 have proven inadequate by today’s security standards. Stick to the latest, most trusted APIs like 256-bit AES encryption with SHA-256 for hashing.
8. Secure The Backend
Client-server architectures are common in mobile apps. Backend servers must have adequate security mechanisms in place to prevent malicious assaults. For the most part, programmers believe that APIs can only be accessed by specific types of apps. API authentication and transport techniques might differ from one mobile platform to the next, so make sure to check all your APIs against the mobile platform you intend to build for.
9. Minimize Storage of Sensitive Data
In order to keep private information safe from prying eyes, software developers prefer to save it locally on the device. However, keeping sensitive data is generally not a good idea since it raises the overall security risk. If storing the data is your only option, you should utilize encrypted data containers or key chains instead. Adding an auto-delete function, which deletes data after a predetermined amount of time, will help decrease the log’s size.
Conclusion
Forbes writes that with the proper security measures in place, including application protection and layers of built-in multifactor authentication, companies can protect their mobile applications from attacks and protect their customers by simplifying customer service and increasing profits.
Even the slightest vulnerability can subsequently lead to multimillion-dollar financial losses, data theft, and damage to reputation. Therefore, never put the security of mobile app development out of your priority list.
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