The need for mobility has spawned into an unprecedented growth in the last couple of years. Today, the iOS and Play Store marketplace has more than 1 million apps and with dozens more being added every day. Application As the need and demand for mobile application is growing, so is the security challenge. A small Smartphone security mistake can result in big loss for its users. Developers today need to be innovative and yet have some tricks up their sleeve to keep the bad guys out. Here are some security tips that every mobile application developers should note.
Understanding of mobile platform
It is highly important that a mobile application has security features compatible for the platform it is meant for. We have a number of mobile OS today, including Apple iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows and each comes with different security features. Each of these OS has their own API and requires compatible security architecture. While the OS itself comes with some integrated security features, developers must understand their limit and the need to implement extra features.
Buy secure/verified source code
Buying a secure source code developed and tested by trusted developers can not only save your big time but also can give confidence to provide best security features to your mobile application. However, it is important that while buying source codes, developers must thoroughly check through. Today, there are hundreds of online marketplaces that sell source code but all aren’t tested, licensed or verified. Go for reputed source code platforms that perform security checks before hosting it. Alternatively, it is also important that developers cross check the security validation themselves. Source codes save a lot of time but a faulty one can ruin your credibility.
Data storage and security
Mobile applications are being widely used to store sensitive data and information. Data storage and its security is also one of the few elements that are totally dependent on the developer. It is important that end users have accessed to a structured data registry and that the database is hosted in a highly secure server. Any lack in understanding can cost invaluable loss to the end user and the developer is going to lose his credibility. Developers also need to make sure that any unwanted data is immediately deleted and the enough space is created for faster processing and further storage.
Encryption
All modern databases have the ability to restrict common access. Encryption increases the confidentiality quotient of databases and takes away the risk of data breaches. Most businesses will look for encrypted databases to host their information. While mobile platforms are increasingly being used to do daily transaction including shopping and banking, encrypted servers keeps the bad guys careful. In this world of information, data compromise isn’t an option. Developers need to ensure that their application is capable of encrypted storage.
Security updates
While new security features are coming up regularly, so is the technology available to the hackers. Ensuring a secure application is a regular process and this is the reason that the most credible applications come with regular security updates and bug fixes. I always recommend updating security features as soon as it is released by the producers. It will help you to improve the security of your application.
Have you ever faced any security issue while developing mobile application source code for your client? Do share your experience and recommendation and let’s discuss the issue to get best solution of such problems.
About Author:
Jack is a technology enthusiast and independent tech writer who periodically publish articles on different blogs and website. You can find his recent article on CocoaPods installation at one of the popular tech blog. Follow Jack on Twitter here: @digifloor
The opinions expressed in this post belong to the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Information Security Buzz.