Have a go at the enlisting of reasons of security threats and essential security measures to make mobile applications hack proof and reliable.

Mobile applications have to be guarded as closely as computer applications as they are directly connected with our business. These are being run on various platforms like Android-powered by Google, iOS- powered by Apple etc. (the two biggest platforms that provide a variety of apps used by users worldwide). Despite being available on Play Store and App Store, these mobile applications are not 100% secure, they have loopholes and vulnerabilities that can open a variety of doors for hackers to intrude.

Advantages of Mobile Applications

Every business work for profit and for the mobile applications to be profitable, they must stick to the preferences of the end users.

• Mobile applications are 5 times faster and responsive as compared to web applications. Their speed is in response to the JavaScript and Frameworks that these applications use.
• Customers look for experience and a tailor-made content provides them just that. Such kind of personalization can be based on their interest, behavior, location, culture etc.
• Mobile applications can work both online as well as offline while web applications can only work online.
• Mobile applications can be programmed to utilize myriad of features within them like QR and Barcodes, Camera that can scan PFDs, and NFC to use for payments, gyro meter and compass, GPS to connect with maps and other services and accelerometer etc.
• Push notifications and instant updates make mobile applications even more lucrative. This ability to send instant and non-intrusive notifications to the applications is one of the major reasons why enterprises and business should build an app.
• Mobile Applications gives a unique identity to the business.
• These help in reaching out to the audience in a very short time and reduce marketing cost.
• Mobile Application’s unique interfaces give immersive experience to the users.
• Google ranks the mobile app content in addition to website content. Therefore the application can be optimized on respective app stores to gain a higher ranking.
• The mobile applications essentially give a first movers advantage to sell products and services before your competitor does the same thing.

Questions That Arise Due To Increase in Mobile Application Users

• How much time is spent on mobile media?
• What percentage of consumers makes use of mobile devices?
• How many website visits are frequent on mobile and desktop devices?
• What is the usage of website v/s mobile application?
• How important are advertisements for the mobile application?
• How many people tend to do their searches on mobile instead of the web?

Challenges in Mobile Application Testing

Testing of a mobile application becomes even more challenging due to a variety of mobile devices, various operating systems, different versions of operating systems and different mobile network operators.

Risks to Mobile Applications also arise due to various types of mobile applications:

1. Mobile Native Applications
2. Mobile Web Applications
3. Mobile Hybrid Applications

What security measures must be applied to secure mobile applications?

1. Secure the Code: Building a Secure Application

The code is the very first thing that must be secured within a mobile application. Malware and bugs often intrude into the security of the mobile application. Attackers can obtain a public copy of the application even before the vulnerability is exploited. Most of the popular applications are repackaged into "rogue apps" that contain malicious code and are posted on third-party app stores, which can attract naïve users to click and install them. Proper measures must be taken to detect and rectify such vulnerabilities and secure the application from reverse engineering and unwanted tampering.

       2. Making the Device Secure by Detecting any compromises or Vulnerabilities in Runtime Environment

Security also relies on the underlying device as much as the application. Mobile App Development Companies must look into various ways to secure the underlying device. Certain measures can be taken for this: The security model within the device – the mobile app sandbox must be integral. These devices must be restricted from accessing enterprise data. Jail-breaking circumvents intrusion and detection mechanisms that are essential to keeping up with these threats. Once the device is jail-broken, malware becomes active and facilitate fraudulent activities.

Enterprises are required to consider updated intelligence sources and application reputation services to keep a check on all activities of the application and the risks associated with it.

       3. Securing the Data to Prevent Leakage of Data

Mobile devices within enterprises are often loaded with essential information that is crucial for major processes within the organization. If such a data is shared with non-enterprise applications, this can often lead to potential loss of data. Some organizations often employ remote wipe capabilities to erase the data over the lost devices. Alternatively, encrypting the data within application sandbox can eventually help in securing data against malware and malicious access.

       4. Secure the Transaction against High Risk

Mobile devices always enable transactions on the move. Therefore it becomes the responsibility of the enterprises to be aware of the potential risk and restrict client-side functionality that is based on policies that consider mobile risk factors such as device security attributes, user location and the security of the network connection. This approach will extend the ability of the enterprise to detect and respond to complex attacks that can span multiple interaction channels and some unidentified threats to security.

Compendium

Mobile App Development life cycle includes all the necessary factors that cover the total development process (Planning and Research for Mobile App, Assessment of Technical feasibility, Building a Prototype, Designing of Mobile App, Implementation, Testing, and Deployment) there is a need to infuse security features to make the application efficient and robust. This can further enforce requirement traceability and guide the developers to generate clear test objectives. Modeling threats, coding bugs, making use of robust programming language to develop the application, benchmarking the application security by making application pass certain standards before publishing it, are some quintessential security measures that cannot be overlooked either.