Mobile App SecurityOverview of Challenges Right Approach Strategy

Mobile devices and apps are now an integral part of our work and life. Apps are the

life-breath of smart mobiles. Enterprise mobile apps as well as consumer apps have

simplified messaging, document sharing, collaboration, banking, and online shopping,

and lots more. Not only do mobile apps store personal and corporate data, but they

may also access extremely sensitive information like social security numbers and

banking PINs.

Whether it is consumer apps or internal corporate apps, the consequences of data leak

or security breaches can be dire. Any apps development firm that fails to safeguard the

privacy of its users is bound to get ripped in the press, while any corporate app that

leaks data can cause untold damage to enterprises.

55% SMBs and 66% enterprises provide company-owned or supported mobile devices to employees

Only 11% users agree that they only access apps from corporate app store when outside office (meaning most access third-party apps on unprotected networks)

Mobile malware is getting more sophisticated and its volume grew by 614% from March 2012 to March 2013

75% apps don’t encrypt properly when storing data

86% apps86% apps don’t have proper protection against common attacks

And, things are getting trickier for enterprises as the threat to smart mobiles are rising:

Needless to say, securing mobile devices, data and connections is at the top of the list

for enterprise IT managers as well as mobile app testers. It doesn’t help that testing

and securing mobile applications comes with its own set of problems and

complications:

Even if you simply build apps for iOS and

Android, there are various versions of the

operating systems on which the app will have to

run. Each version can have a different set of

vulnerabilities, and the app tester needs to be

aware of them all.

There are dozens of major mobile devices on

which the application needs to function.

Performance testing itself is a tough task, but

when you identify and consider the security

vulnerabilities specific to devices, the task of

securing mobile apps gets even more intricate.

OS Variations1

Challenges to Fail-Proofing Security of Mobile Apps.

While the testing basics remain the same

whether you are testing a mobile app or a web

application, the same automation tools won’t

work for both. While many test automation and

testing tools for mobile have emerged, there is

dearth of full-fledged standard tools that can

cater to every step of the security testing

process.process.

Lack of Mobile TestingAutomation Tools3

When you are working on an enterprise-scale

app, there is a chance that newer version of

OSes will be released before you complete the

app! App developers are under tremendous

pressure to deliver apps within a short period,

and security testing can take a back seat in

such a scenario. Agile development and testing

can provide a solution.can provide a solution.

Looming Deadlines5

Device Fragmentation 2

Mobile security testing requires a strong grasp

of the how mobile devices, OSes and tools

work. In addition, understanding of server-side

and client-side interactions, data storage and

authentication work on mobile is also need.

Lack of professionals with the blend of right

knowledge also impacts mobile security at

times.times.

Dearth of ExperiencedQA Professionals

4

With BYOD and Cloud Computing trends gaining widespread acceptance, information has escaped the four

walls of the enterprise. On the other side, consumer-facing apps sit on a large treasure trove of private

consumer data that hackers would love to get their hands on. And, there are several major threats to mobile

application security.

How can you battle all the small and big mobile security dangers out there? Too many developers focus just

on development or performance testing at the start and consider security factors only after a bulk of

development is finished. The first thing is to start application development with the right mindset.

Mobile App Security Risks at all Too Real

Data SensitivityData Storage

Non-repudiation

Authentication Offline Security

Secure Notifications Client-side Entry Points

Ask these basic questions and keep the answers in mind throughout the testing process.

Does the app store sensitive data? Is the data encrypted at all the key points? Are there pluggable loopholes that a hacker can exploit?

Is the data encrypted, and is it stored at a secure and trusted location?

Can the data on the app always be trusted and verified by the user? Are there logs of app events that can pinpoint origin

of data with integrity?

Can anyone with access to peripheral information access the app, or is there a strict authentication process?

Is the app available offline? Can a hacker attack the app

offline?

Can pop-up notifications or logs leak sensitive data to unauthorized users?

Are all potential client-side entry points validated and

secure?

Three-Pronged Strategy for Rock Solid Security

When you come right down to it, the biggest risk to lies in insecure mobile APIs, data leaks in transit,

malicious apps, and stolen or lost devices. To elevate the security of enterprise mobile apps and devices, we

need to follow a three pronged approach, focusing on:

Yes, it is quite a bit of work. And, if you try and follow all the best practices of testing and securing mobile

applications, you will end up spending a lot of time and effort in it. In fact, according to CIO Insight, mobile

application testing consumes 25% of the IT budget!

Securing all wireless (including GSM, LTE, CDMA, NFC, Bluetooth) mobile connections through encryption, validation and authentication

Protecting the app against traditional threats like SQL injections and malware & Neutralizing specific threats posed by different OSes and versions

Securing data and devices through encryption, remote access to devices and data-wipe features

Are you looking for a reliable partner who can help you secure your mobile applications? Do you want help with fail-proofing the security of your

enterprise mobile assets?

Cygnet Infotech has been building enterprise scale applications sine more than a

decade. Our QA assurance services for web as well as mobile apps have helped several

enterprises and ISVs accelerate time-to-market and deliver high-performance and secure

solutions that please the end users.

Manual penetration testing

Source Code review

Threat modeling

Vulnerability assessment

Server vulnerability testing

Mobile Test automation

And lots more

We can help you secure your iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone apps through

comprehensive:

We can help you find a solution to your mobile app development, testing and security

problems. Get in touch with us and get an obligation-free assessment of your needs now!