If you’re considering creating a mobile app for your business, chances are you have considered how you’ll secure both your data and your customers’. Your mobile app will require quite a bit of plumbing to make it secure. The code, back-end network, databases, user interface, APIs, and the operating system need to work seamlessly for the app to have robust security. Below are some mobile app security best practices you should follow.
- Secure the Code from the Ground Up
As it is with any other software project, the security of your mobile app needs to be a priority from the word go. There is a possibility for vulnerabilities to exist within the app’s source code due to developer error, failure to test, or malicious code insertion by a hacker. For this reason, it is important to encrypt the source code to keep it obfuscated and to test the code for vulnerabilities. Ensure that the code is easy to update and patch since you don’t want users stuck with the old app after a security breach. It is easy to rely on app store approval to determine whether your app is safe. Don’t fall into this trap. The approval processes of app store are not infallible.
- Secure the Back-End Network Connections
Any servers hosting APIs that are being accessed by your app should have the right security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access. You can use containerization to create encrypted containers for storing documents and data. Use the services of a network security expert to test vulnerabilities in your network and guarantee safety of data. Make sure to encrypt all your databases and connections.
- Authenticate All Users Before Giving Access
You should authenticate and authorize all logins by users. A user needs to prove they are who they say they are before being granted access. This helps prevent identity theft and stop hackers in their tracks. If you rely on 3rd party APIs, then you should be cautious since you’re exposing yourself to attacks if they don’t have the right security measures in place. For this reason, you should restrict access to areas of your app that are absolutely necessary to minimize vulnerabilities.
- Implement a Mobile Encryption Policy
If you want your app to perform exceptionally well, you might have to store most of the app’s code and data on the device as opposed to deploying a traditional web app. This way, you will be able to overcome any issues with performance, quality of device, and bandwidth. However, storing data locally comes with its own set of security risks. To prevent data leakage, you need to implement file level encryption to prevent unauthorized access. You should also encrypt all databases and avoid storing very sensitive info such as passwords, credit card info and any other sensitive information on the device.
- Test the App
Testing the app code is an important part of the development process. Do not get caught up in the excitement of getting the app out there and ignore the testing process. Make sure to test for usability, security, and functionality. This will allow you to detect bugs and other mishaps in the app. Do a penetration test by deliberately probing the system or network for weaknesses. Follow that up with an authorization and authentication test. Finally, use emulators to test how the app will perform under various devices, browsers, and operating systems.
The process of keeping your mobile apps secure can be a bit technical so you might want to hire an app developer company to help with the process.
