Mobile device use is pervasive, and has eclipsed traditional computing. We often hear how various malicious mobile apps are released into circulation. For these reasons, mobile app development needs to focus on cybersecurity just as much as it does on functionality and flexibility, if not more so. It’s an inevitable aspect of app development that must be taken more seriously, as the very real threats to business proliferate. Too many companies are downplaying security during app development and maintenance best practices, due to the need to meet an ever-increasing demand for mobile business apps. This is a risk they cannot afford to take.
Organizations must heighten their awareness of the many well-known and well-understood security threats to mobile apps, during development and in production. Business enterprises of all sizes and types must heighten their awareness of security and the associated threats during and after app development. Development environments can be compromised through various means, including security misconfigurations, insecure data storage methods, exposure of sensitive data, unpatched software and hardware, and improperly sourced development tools. Threat actors have increasingly re-focused their attention from traditional networks environments to mobile apps with more sophisticated attacks, often aimed at “phishing” or taking advantage of security weaknesses in the app or the development tools. A relentless focus on cybersecurity during mobile app development can keep the organization one step ahead of these threats to ensure greater agility and user-friendliness in the apps. This attention to security will also improve the return on investment in the mobile apps.
Cybersecurity Improves Mobile App Capabilities
Mobile apps need several key capabilities to provide organizations with operational efficiencies and to improve productivity while delivering consistent performance under all threat scenarios. Mobile device hardware, such as cameras and fingerprint scanners should be used to enhance cybersecurity in an “always on” world. Some examples include biometric access controls, like facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and two-factor authentication. Apps should be designed to work without Wi-Fi or cell signals, so as to maintain user productivity even when normal connectivity fails. And, of course, mobile apps should run successfully on any operating system or mobile device, while maintaining a consistent user experience and security.
Cybersecurity is business-critical to prevent data leakage and unauthorized access to sensitive data assets, A compromised mobile app may well give intruders access to these assets or the ability to take users offline. Security vulnerabilities in mobile apps may allow attackers to exploit either the application platform or the mobile app platform’s operating system with the goal of accessing and stealing sensitive information. Security vulnerabilities in the underlying Wi-Fi environment – especially, in “work from home” environments – may also be exploited by cybercriminals to gain access to sensitive business information. Security weaknesses in the underlying mobile apps may also be used to steal authentication information for later attacks on the apps and business systems.
Developers can avoid these problems by considering cybersecurity through every stage of mobile app development. Techniques to be considered include encrypted databases (with stringent management of encryption/decryption keys), and encryption of all data while in transit over public networks. These techniques ensure that, even if a hacker does penetrate the app or the network, any stolen data will be unreadable. Further, appropriate encryption techniques can also be used to sign and timestamp all changes to corporate data, which may be useful for legal purposes, or in the event of rebuilding lost or damaged databases.
Why Coding Security Matters
Insecure code is the key cybersecurity issue with mobile app development. Criminals typically exploit poorly designed or programmed code to infect the underlying mobile apps and to use them for nefarious purposes, including stealing sensitive data or demanding exorbitant ransoms (now in the millions of dollars per successful attack).
During mobile app development, enterprises should always apply best practice security measures, including manual or automated code scanning to identify common security weaknesses, like insecure libraries, unpatched development tools, breaches of development standards, insecure third-party code, and stringent standards for coding, testing and updating of production libraries.
Low-code and no-code mobile app development software can help, especially when creating task-based apps for small business transactional systems, web applications, and analytics apps. These software solutions are reliable because they don’t require significant IT involvement to craft the basic app, and often have strong built-in security capabilities and standards. However, some level of technical expertise is required to govern these types of mobile app development solutions, including cybersecurity and integration with other mission-critical systems.
Low-code/no-code applications streamline security verification processes by ensuring that security code integration with a system takes place early in the development cycle, with frequent updates. The presence of automation pipelines with security code validation and built-in testing helps the streamlining of the verification process. This ensures that app development has better fluidity and that cybersecurity best practices are always followed and embedded seamlessly in the code.
More Emphasis Should Be Placed On Testing
A relaxed approach to testing leads to the likelihood of subtle security vulnerabilities in software code, leading to negative consequences. This single oversight can leave an organization vulnerable to a compromised infrastructure and/or successful ransomware attack.
Security continuously evolves to protect against the evolving universe of threats. Companies can take advantage of this protection if they partner with mobile app development specialists to test the effectiveness and security of their mobile apps well before they are deployed into productive use. With such a partnership, organizations can stay a step ahead, by leveraging the latest cybersecurity techniques and trends.
One type of testing central to mobile app development is usability testing, which is performed to ensure maximum convenience when using the app while creating a flexible and intuitive interface that fully conforms to the required standards. This type of testing determines the speed of a mobile app and ensures better ease of use.
Penetration testing allows developers to discover and mitigate mobile app vulnerabilities, allowing for optimization at different stages of the development cycle. Such testing reveals potential loopholes that may be exploited to compromise different app features and data.
Using High-Level Authentication Methods
Authentication issues leave mobile apps susceptible to security breaches. The mobile app development industry has been exploring the potential of passwordless solutions, with biometrics and two-factor authentication explored as alternatives for credential validation. Organizations and developers not yet comfortable with the passwordless route should ensure the mobile app is designed only to accept strong alphanumeric passwords.
If apps are very sensitive, the strongest authentication practices that align with the business practices should be key points of mobile app development. As app breaches continue to come into focus, high-level authentication should increase out of necessity.
Going forward, cybersecurity should be the primary focus for mobile app developers. Data breaches can be financially crippling for organizations, regardless of the type or cause. More organizations are understanding the need for cybersecurity best practices and should incorporate those practices into every element of the development process.
About the Author:
Jeff Kalwerisky was formerly the Senior Information Security Architect (CISO designate) at TIBCO Software, Inc. As CISO at Alpha Software, Jeff oversees strategic data management and protection policies for the organization.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this guest author article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of Tripwire, Inc
