Mobile App Security Best Practices Every Developer Should Know

The dependency on mobile applications has increased since most people want to use software programs available at their fingertips. However, there are huge problems one has to face, especially concerning the increased number of cyber threats. A study from Statista revealed that 2.2 million cyber attacks happened for global mobile app users. Such a vast number is undoubtedly a concerning factor, and that's why every developer needs to learn about the modern, effective, and latest mobile app security practices.

The task is, however, much easier said than done. If you look at the regular security practices developers implement, you will find how irrelevant they are compared to the cybercrime status as of now. That's why we have presented here a brief about the best security practices which will enhance the app security and provide 100% guarantee and assurance to the users.

Use of the latest cryptography techniques

Data encryption or cryptography is one of the best ways to enhance mobile application security. Data encryption is an efficient way through which a substantial number can reduce cybercrimes. Here, the cryptographic technique will scramble all datasets to ensure no one can unveil the transferred information in various ways.

In earlier days, SHA1 and MD5 were the primary encryption techniques used to protect data during the transfer process. However, these have now become obsolete and fail to stand against modern-day malware and data decryption software. So, if you want to improve the mobile app security level, the best way will be to focus on some of these modern-day cryptographic techniques:

●      AES or Advanced Encryption Standard: Most governmental organizations rely on AES cryptographic techniques. The base level AES code is 128-bit, but for high-grade, military-level protection, one needs to utilize the AES 192-bit and 256-bit keys. It is difficult to override the encryption layers, especially when implementing the AES 256-bit protocol.

●      Triple DES: This algorithm is applied to protect data blocks by implementing three DES or Data Encryption Standard layers. ATM pins and UNIX passwords are usually protected with the help of the Triple DES algorithm. 

●      RSA: RSA is a popular public-key asymmetric encryption algorithm proven to be the most efficient. It scrambles all the data records and introduces gibberish information to transfer in the original data set. As a result, hackers find it quite difficult to crack the protection layers and penetrate the data transfer channel to acquire information.

●      Blowfish: One of the best security algorithms to be implemented for mobile applications is the Blowfish. It breaks all the messages into 64-bit blocks and proceeds further with individual block encryption. As a result, it is primarily used in e-commerce websites and mobile applications.

Securing the third-party libraries used with the app codes

Most often, developers use different types of third-party libraries to write the application codes. This ensures the code length can be shortened and that most other functions can be used from the built-in library collection. However, there is a massive problem with these third-party libraries, which is in the form of security vulnerabilities.

First of all, these libraries aren't usually updated periodically, which means you will have a lot of counter codes for the library functions. The loopholes won't be removed, and once you use the functions in your code, the same weak points are established in the mobile application. As a result, it becomes much easier for hackers to gain entry to the application and reduce safety standards significantly.

So, there are specific ways in which developers should handle these vulnerabilities in third-party libraries. Below are some examples of doing so:

●      If the mobile app codes are uploaded and locked on Github, you can use its built-in code scanner, Dependabot. It will scan the entire code, find all the library vulnerabilities and compare them with the existing database list. This way, you will know what the current weak spots in the application are and how you can eliminate them easily.

●      Also, you must ensure the vulnerability scan is conducted before deploying any significant software lifecycle change. For instance, deploying quality assurance codes or implementing the CI/CD pipelines should be done only when the code scan report is clean and free of library vulnerabilities.

●      Ensure the application is scalable. This way, you can easily make the necessary code changes if the package owner releases an update with security fixes for the libraries used with your app code. This way, you won't have to write the applications from scratch.

Implement security testing protocols

One of the significant ways to ensure the developed or deployed application is entirely secured and safe to use is through security testing. Developers must run a series of security tests as the features are developed and tested through UAT. This reveals whether the concerned application has any backdoor and whether it can be hacked easily.

Following are some of the best application security testing techniques you can implement during the software development life cycle.

●      Penetration testing defines a process where you check how far a hacker can penetrate the encryption layer before they get access to the confidential datasets. Some of the best ways penetration testing can be made more efficient and reliable are requirement analysis, post-exploitation analysis, threat, vulnerability identification, and reporting.

●      A vulnerability scanning test is a technique through which you scan the entire application codebase and identify areas with weak security or more vulnerabilities. This way, you can start devising plans to remove loopholes throughout the codebase.

●      For regular application code monitoring, you should conduct audit checks. It is indeed one of the best ways to quickly identify the data and code gaps. Furthermore, due to regular audits, you can fix minor security problems, ensuring you won't have to worry about dealing with a major security attack.

Conclusion

In this article, we have walked you through three central security practices developers can implement to ensure mobile applications are secured and well-protected. Several other ways to handle the vulnerabilities include updating backend codes, having a code signing certificate, introducing agility, implementing SSL encryption, etc.

But the three processes we mentioned cover multiple vulnerabilities simultaneously and ensure you can level up the safety of the entire codebase and not just a single area. Following these best practices will help keep your mobile app secure against all sorts of threats. However, it’s important to remember that security is an ongoing process, not a one-time effort. 

Mindfire's commitment to mobile app security ensures that clients can trust their products to be safe and secure for their customers. With the expertise in software development and passion for technology, Mindfire is an ideal partner for businesses looking to develop secure and innovative mobile apps. If you have any questions about mobile app security or need help implementing these best practices, feel free to get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions. We're always happy to help!