3 Unique Ways App Development Companies Can Improve Cyber Security Processes
September 04, 2019
The modern world is addicted to the use of mobile devices. Virtually every activity or task handled electronically can be performed with a mobile device, including: shopping, banking, entertainment, and even controlling other devices in the workplace, shop, and home. No doubt, app development companies and developers are doing well to improve mobile productivity through the creation of efficient mobile applications.
The overwhelming growth of this ecosystem has not only transformed the way people perform various activities, but has also helped provide many amazing growth opportunities for businesses. Various app development companies have helped many enterprises boost customer relationships by keeping convenience at the heart of their innovations. Nevertheless, this overwhelming growth has been drastically undermined by numerous inherent security risks.
Due to the preventable lapse in enterprise mobile application security, many mobile devices and applications have become critical targets for various malicious activities. In recent times, there has been increasing cases of data breaches owing to insecure mobile application development. With cyber threats growing at an alarming rate, mobile developers can no longer take the security of their mobile applications for granted.
So, the real question now is – what can app development companies do to prevent this problem so it doesn’t create more havoc? Here are some effective ways app developers can secure mobile applications and prevent cyber threats.
Ensure Regular Testing
Contrary to general beliefs, app security is a process that starts at the initial development phase. But it also never ends. One thing you must know is that cyber crooks never get tired; they’re always working tooth and nail to frustrate mobile application users. That’s why developers must never relent on preventing attacks. Every now and then, developers are expected to come up with strategies to tackle new threats.
There have been numerous cases of cyber attacks in recent times - and developers are becoming more aware of the need to improve application security status. There is no better way to take security seriously than performing regular testing. Mobile applications are safer if developers handle security the same way they handle the application development process.
One of the best ways app development companies can protect their apps is by ensuring continuous testing. Regular checks for vulnerabilities can be performed by investing in emulators, threat modeling, and penetration testing. Don’t wait until there is an attack before launching security actions. Through regular testing, know when it’s time to release a security update and patches.
Adopt High-Level Authentication
One of the most common reasons many mobile app development projects experience data breaches is lack of strong authentication. Mobile applications are bound to witness disheartening security breaches when they’re developed with weak authentication. This is why it’s essentially important for both app development companies and developers to utilize the strongest authentication processes to guard and protect mobile apps.
This means using personal identifiers, such as passwords, to secure assessment to the apps. With these authenticators, it’s difficult for intruders to access the app. There are various types of authentication measures developers can adopt to improve their security.
One of the most common methods of authentication is alphanumeric passwords. It is always advisable for mobile users to employ strong passwords that include both numbers and letters to prevent hackers from gaining access. It is expedient to make passwords renewable on a regular basis. The use of a combination of static password and dynamic OTP is also gaining wide prominence among many developers today. This is simply a type of multifactor authentication.
Nevertheless, it’s recommendable to employ biometric authentication - such as use of fingerprints or retina scans - for applications that may be overly sensitive. While end-users have a greater role to play in this case, it is important that developers make customers understand what it means to keep passwords and other forms of authenticators safe.
Use Only Secure Code
When it comes to handling cyber threats for mobile applications, coding has always been a developer’s biggest flaw. Generally, attackers find it easy to break into an app that has bugs and vulnerabilities in its code. These are basically what crooks are looking for to gain access and wreak havoc. An app is 50 percent safe from cyber attacks when the code is pure, safe, and secure.
Developers and app development companies must avoid using generic or public codes for app development if they want protect from these threats. The internet is already flooded with free codes written by hackers. Once an unsuspecting developer makes use of infectious code, they’ve successfully given this app away to the crooks.
To this end, companies are advised to adopt secure code for their development projects. Ultimately, it is best to write your own code and try to harden it to prevent break-ins. The security of the code should be the utmost priority of every developer. You can prevent hackers from restructuring your code by obfuscating and minifying every bit of it.
It’s expected to perform regular testing and ensure a quick fix once a bug is identified. The best secure code is easily updatable and patchable. This emphasizes the need to observe code agility.