Mobile App Security Checklist

Secure Your App Source Code

Network and data security components are important parts of the overall security picture, but security has to start with the app itself. Vulnerabilities can be caused by developer error, failure to test the code, or your app may just be targeted specifically by a hacker. Steps to secure APP.

• Protect app code with encryption. We want the code to be secret, and hard to read. This would help to save code from reverse engineering.
• Test code for vulnerabilities, or run source code scanning.

Enforce Strong Authentication

To prevent unauthorized access and password guessing attacks, we should implement multi-factor authentication. The three main factors for authentication are something that a user knows, such as a password or PIN, something the user has, such as mobile device, or something the user is, such as a fingerprint.

Combining password-based authentication with a client certificate, device ID, or one-time password significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access. we can also implement time-of- day and location-based restrictions to prevent fraud.

Encrypt Mobile Communications

With threats like snooping and man-in-the-middle attacks over Wi- Fi and cellular networks, we should make sure that all communications between mobile apps and app servers are encrypted. Strong encryption that leverages 4096-bit SSL keys and session-based key exchanges can prevent even the most determined hackers from decrypting communications.

Monitor User Activity

Maintaining a detailed audit trail is an essential way to identify insider abuse, accidental data leaks, and even malware-based attacks. Many compliance regulations mandate user monitoring to track access and changes to sensitive data.

Log messages should identify when users access business apps and track users’ geographic location and device ID. Failed login attempts and other errors should also be recorded.

For highly-sensitive apps, we can record mobile user sessions to identify who did what and see the results from users’ perspectives.

Protect Against Device Theft

Every year, millions of mobile devices are lost or stolen. To ensure sensitive data does not end up in the wrong hands, IT should provide a way to remotely wipe sensitive data or-better yet-make sure data is never stored on mobile devices in the first place.

Secure Access of Backend Server

Servers and cloud servers that an app’s APIs are accessing (your own, or third-party) should have security measures in place to protect data and prevent unauthorized access. APIs and those accessing them should be verified to prevent eavesdropping on sensitive information passing from the client back to the app’s server and database.

• All the Data in Database should be encrypted form.
• Proper firewall policy should be implemented on server and all unused ports should be blocked. Also alerts should be sent to responsible persons if there would be unauthorised access to server.

Put Identification Authentication, and Authorization measures in place.

As with APIs, authentication and authorization technology help users prove to an app who they are, adding another layer of security to the login process. OAuth2 has become the gold-standard protocol for managing secure connections via user-specific, one-time tokens. Installing this framework on your authorization server and customizing it to your needs will allow you to grant user permissions between the client and end users by collecting credentials, like 2-factor SMS questions.

USE Extra Caution – Through VPN

• Implement a VPN to create a secure connection that’s less likely to be vulnerable to hackers listening in over an unsecure network.
• Block unauthorized devices, and secure cleared devices through firewall.