Whether you are an Android or iOS user, you are likely to use dozens of mobile apps from the platform’s respective storefronts. While most apps pass Google or Apple safety guidelines, many of them are built by independent developers and small startups. Mobile apps are, unfortunately, full of potential cybersecurity risks for your device.
A recent Auth0 report indicated that 85% of today’s mobile apps are unsecured, with a 37% increase in mobile phishing attacks in 2020. This is concerning, especially because many teens and the elderly use smartphones without thinking twice about downloading eye-catching apps. However, you can protect your smartphone by following some basic guidelines which can limit how much a mobile app can do to potentially harm it.
Fully Utilizing your Platform of Choice
Android and iOS operating systems come with their respective proper use guidelines when it comes to utilizing their API for app development. If you are an app developer, abiding by these guidelines is essential if you want to minimize your mobile app’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
These guidelines address user input, runtime permissions, Inter-Process Communication (IPC), and keychain proper usage. Ticking off all four boxes will drastically minimize your app’s vulnerability and ensure that end-users don’t become victims of cyberattacks via your app.
Implementing Safe Data Storage
The people who use your mobile app might change their phone at some point or lose it, which will raise data privacy concerns. Keeping your user data (login logs, user inputs, use data, etc.) safe on a secured server is very important.
Ensuring that your mobile app can protect the data of its original user against physical or malware intrusions is what you should aim for. You can go a step further and implement mandatory data privacy policy acceptance at the beginning of each user’s mobile app experience for transparency’s sake.
Communications Privacy
If your app has any form of social interaction or communication features in it, it is very vulnerable to cyber intrusions. Viber is a good example of a secure communications platform with peer-to-peer encryption, a feature many are looking for given Facebook’s recent data privacy concerns.
Implement encrypted communication protocols into your app and look into certificate pinning for your mobile app. This will improve your app’s communication privacy significantly and encourage new users to check it out.
Role of Cryptography
Different types of cryptographic passcodes can be used in your mobile app by default to increase its security. While mandatory fingerprint authentication may be limited by the devices being used, crypto encryption such as two-factor authentication is a welcome addition.
This is an especially valuable addition if your mobile app is meant for eCommerce or features monetary transaction options that are prone to abuse. Follow Android and iOS guidelines to implement a cryptographic encryption method that won’t impede your users but still protect their data.
For your Consideration (Conclusion)
There are other guidelines you could consider using as a baseline for your mobile app besides the official resources. Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG) is a great example of such a resource, and you can use it to improve your mobile app’s security intuitively.
Test your app’s security in a controlled environment by exposing it to malware samples and trying to penetrate its security through social engineering. Once you’ve eliminated most of the obvious attack vectors, your mobile app will be ready for general use for a majority of your target audience.