10 Ways To Keep Your Mobile Applications Safe And Secure

Mobile devices are quickly becoming the most popular way around the world to interact with the internet, and the vast majority of these users are doing so through mobile apps. However, this reliance on our smartphones can mean that, when a security breach happens, it can be devastating to the user.

If you are a mobile app developer handling user data, it is your responsibility to make sure users have the safest and most secure interaction within your app as possible. To make sure your app is up-to-date on contemporary cyber security practices, follow these tips.

Here Are Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Mobile Apps Secure

1) Lock Down Your Code

The process to secure your mobile app starts on day one, with coding. The code of your application is one window through its defenses, so developers should work to encrypt your app’s source code. Subsequently, make sure to run your code by quality assurance to test for any gaps in your security that you might have missed.

2) Always Be Testing

Testing should always be a consideration during your app development. Regardless of budgetary or time constraints, never put off testing your app at every stage of development to avoid issues piling up throughout the development process. Be ruthless with your tests: they should mimic the attempts of a real-life hacker, who will try anyway to circumvent your security and find the tiniest gap to take advantage of.

3) Safe API

API permission keys are an essential part of mobile app development, meaning they’re also a vulnerable entryway into security systems. Lock down your apps with API gateways to make sure you’re not allowing unknown persons access to your code.”

4) Plug The Leaks

Data leaks are one of the most common sources of a security breach in mobile apps, made all the more difficult by the fact that most are not noticed until too late. When it comes to safeguarding user data, nothing is more important than plugging up leaks. There’s no quick fix for this, just make sure you pay close attention to encrypting and tokenizing all aspects of sensitive data. And, if a breach does occur, tell the users as soon as you know so that they can respond accordingly.

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5) Bring In Professionals

App security is hard at the best of times, so it’s almost impossible if you don’t have a dedicated team responsible for it. A security team can make it a priority to protect all aspects of the user and app data, take charge of informing users of security procedures and breaches, and plan for all possible security risk eventualities. Make it someone’s full-time job and you can rest easy that your app security is being looked after.

6) Educate Your Users

Sometimes you can do all the right work of defending your app data and a hacker is allowed access by an uninformed user. Users are like any other a potential entryway to cyber criminals, it’s your responsibility to secure it by educating users as to best safety practices wherever possible.

7) Manage Access

During development, make sure you use secure frameworks when building your app. This will ensure that your access policies are secure and in keeping with the Google Play and Apple App Store guidelines.

8) Learn New Techniques

In the world of cryptography there are always new security techniques being developed to thwart hackers, and it pays off if you give them a go. There are algorithms far better than SHA1 and MD5, which are no longer considered suitable for secure operations.”

9) Force Better Authentication

Password breaches are the number one source of security breaches, bar none. If you want to avoid the largest proportion of attacks, force your users to set strong passwords and encourage them to vary their passwords between accounts. This is where user education is particularly important.

10) Inform Your Users

At the end of the day, app security is never 100% effective hackers will always find a way into a user’s, given enough time and resources. Some of this is completely out of your control, so it’s good practice to let your users know how they are at risk and what they can do to prevent it.