The digital world today mostly runs on apps, from online banking and remote work apps to personal entertainment delivery and e-commerce. In India alone, people spend 7.3 hours on their phones every day actively using mobile apps. These applications have access to large amounts of user data, much of which is sensitive data and must be protected from unauthorized access.
All popular mobile platforms provide security controls designed to help software developers build secure applications. However, it is often left to the developer to choose from a myriad of security options. A lack of quality assurance can lead to security feature implementation that can be easily avoided by attackers.
In today’s blog, we will discuss mobile app security and a checklist for securing mobile apps and websites in 2023, which developers and business owners must consider for enhanced security for their users. Let’s get started!
What Is Mobile App Security?
Mobile app security is the practice of safeguarding high-value mobile applications and your digital identity from fraudulent attacks in all their forms. This includes tampering, reverse engineering, malware, keyloggers, and other forms of manipulation or interference. A comprehensive mobile app security strategy includes technological solutions, such as mobile app shielding, as well as best practices for use and corporate processes. Read the details on how To Keep Your Apps And Website Safe In 2023-Detailed Guide
Mobile application security is concerned with how well mobile apps on different operating systems, such as Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, are protected by software. This includes programs that work on tablets and mobile phones. It entails examining software applications for security flaws within the settings of the platforms they are intended to run on, the development frameworks they utilize, and the target audience they are intended for (e.g., employees vs. end users).
Importance Of Mobile App Security
Developers understand the importance of mobile app security, but this is not universally understood. Beyond a rising rate of mobile fraud, there are several other reasons that financial institutions should take mobile app security seriously and commit to developing a comprehensive strategy.
Consumers should exercise caution when disclosing personal information online and downloading data, but business professionals should exercise equal caution. Mobile applications’ requests for permissions sometimes seem arrogant.
Why would a weather app, for instance, need access to your camera or microphone? And what are the chances that an attacker will discover a flaw in that program that gives them access to the camera or microphone for the purpose of conducting business espionage?
Mobile App Security Threats
Fraudsters frequently target mobile applications linked to business brands in order to either take advantage of their consumers or the children of their customers or to harm the company itself. The effects of a mobile malware attack that targets a user’s device may include:
- Account takeover
- Stolen login credentials
- Stolen and resold credit card details
- Unauthorized access to business networks
- Identity theft
- The iOS or Android device could spread malware to other devices
- SMS messages could be copied and scanned for private information
Benefits of Mobile App Security
Mobile applications generate a tremendous amount of data about us and our lives. So, ensuring apps create and use this information securely is paramount. Otherwise, insecure applications are an easy route for malicious acts to steal and sell your personal information.
In addition, other mobile solutions can deliver significant benefits.
Identity Verification:
Digital Identity verification makes it more difficult for a cyber attacker to assume users’ identities and open accounts in their place. A thorough identity verification process confirms that the user is who they claim to be and aids in preventing fraud from being committed by an attacker.
Strong Authentication:
Passwords are swiftly going out of date, and account takeover is a typical issue. There are already a lot of username/password combinations for sale on the Dark Web as a result of recent significant data breaches.
Biometrics: Biometrics is a secure and convenient way to log into mobile apps using data derived from your own body. There is no foolproof way to determine who is entering a password. The app developer can only determine whether the password entered matches the password key in the back end of the system.
Mobile App Security Best Practices
Let’s now discuss a more important part of this blog. The following checklist should be followed to secure Mobile Apps:
1) Secure Your Mobile App with Code Signing Certificate
A destructive weapon of a hacker is open-source software. They have always had an effortless time stabbing such software with malware. The top-notch therapy is to bypass software exhibiting publishers and safeguard your apps from adversarial cyber assaulters.
However, the software code must be secure, unaltered, and protected by a code signing certificate that makes it 100% impervious to attackers and prevents malware replication.
Comodo code signing certificates, Symantec code signing certificates, and Section code signing certificates are a few well-known code signing certs. This excellent code signing certificate must be kept in a secure location because hackers heavily rely on stealing private keys to embed malware into code. All of your data will be wholly protected, and you can secure them by creating secure passwords.
2) Encrypt Mobile Communications
With the surge in threats like man-in-the-middle and snooping attacks over cellular and Wi-Fi networks, IT must ensure that every communication between mobile app servers remains encrypted. Powerful encryption, which leverages session-oriented key exchanges and 4096-bit SSL keys, can impede the most determined hackers from deciphering communications.
3) Multi-Factor Authentication Provision
Are you wondering about how to secure mobile apps? Smartphone users don’t prefer redundant authentication and checks on their devices. Therefore, password preservation is one of the most critical mobile app security measures!
It ensures no one can use your device and can be programmed to take corrective measures if a theft case ensues. Convenience is the ultimate key to every mobile app developer, and they’ve made it more powerful. Hence, users must not feel afflicted by such authentication appraisals.
4) Secure APIs
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are crucial to merging third-party services and boosting functionality, allowing heterogeneous systems to interconnect and facilitate data exchange. However, you need top-notch and highly secured APIs for improved mobile app security and don’t expose the data swapped.
5) Platform-specific limitations:
It is mandatory to understand the limitations and security features of the platforms on that you are developing an app. You have to keep in mind some of the passwords, use case scenarios, geo-location support and encryptions for the OS to work with.
It helps in developing and distributing the right mobile application for selected platforms. If you aim to work on an iOS system, there are various tips available to design perfect mobile applications for a better user experience. Likewise, you can use some tips to secure mobile app development for Android users as well.
6) Securing network connections:
The servers, which the mobile app uses, should have proper security measures to protect data and prevent any kind of unauthorized access. APIs access needs to be protected, so no one outside of your enterprise has unauthorized access to it.
Containerization is one way to create encrypted containers for storing documents and data securely. Make sure to protect data in the right way as a simple leakage is quite common.
7) Make sure to encrypt all data:
Encrypting just the code is not enough. You can even encrypt all data as exchanged through a mobile app. So, even if the data gets stolen, the hackers won’t be able to do anything with it.
Unless you have the key, it is all just lettering without any meaning to it. For the apps made for enterprises, which contain sensitive information, the data should be encrypted as well to make it impossible to misuse.
What is website security?
Website security is any action taken or application put in place to ensure website data is not exposed to cybercriminals or to prevent exploitation of the website in any way. These actions help to protect sensitive data, hardware, and software within a website from the various types of attacks that currently exist.
Effective website security requires design effort across the whole of the website: in your website, the configuration of the web server, your policies for creating and renewing passwords, and the client-side code.
While all that sounds very ominous, the good news is that if you’re using a server-side web framework, it will almost certainly enable “by default” robust and well-thought-out defense mechanisms against a number of the more common attacks.
Common Website Security Threats
Websites get attacked in a lot of different ways. These are the things that you’ll want to be prepared for when taking security measures:
Spam
Sometimes spam is more malicious than just fraud. Spam in the form of comments is extremely common on websites. Bots can hammer the comments section of your website with links to another site in an attempt to build backlinks.
Viruses and malware
For those of you who don’t know, malware stands for “malicious software.” So malware and viruses are essentially the same things. Malware is arguably the biggest threat to your website. As many as 350,000 malware samples are created each day.
WHOIS domain registration
Buying a domain name is like buying a house. The company that sells the house must know who they’re selling to and be able to contact them. Plus, anyone can go to the county auditor and find information about any address.
Outside of your personal information, this also contains information about your URL nameservers (these are the servers that connect your domain name to your actual web server).
DDoS attacks
DDoS attacks deny access to users trying to visit a specific website. The hacker uses spoof IP addresses to overload servers with traffic. This essentially takes the website offline. Think of it as spamming website traffic to your site. Instead of you benefiting from more traffic though, your website crashes.
Search engine blacklists
When you don’t keep your website safe, it’ll have a ripple effect in other key areas of your business. For example, if your website is attacked, Google might take notice and diminish your SEO rankings.
According to a recent study, 74% of hacked websites were attacked for SEO reasons such as adding backlinks to your website. They can also create new web pages on your website or display an entirely different site in order to bring your ranking down and boost the ranking of whatever site they want.
How to Make a Website Secure in 2023
Now that you have become familiar with some of the common threats for websites in 2023, let’s now focus on how to make websites secure in 2023.
1. Find a Secure Hosting Option
Not all website hosts offer the same level of security. Having a secure hosting service is foundational in setting up a secure website. It’s important to shop and look around and don’t just opt for the cheapest when making your decision.
Set up a call to talk with them on the phone about specific or concerning questions you may have. You could also look at reviews and testimonials from past clients on their website. This way, you can see how similar businesses within your niche or industry worked with them.
2. Install an SSL/TLS Certificate
If you want your customers to register on your website or make purchases, you need to know that the connection between your website and your customer’s device is completely secure. An insecure connection leaves your customers susceptible to data theft and computer viruses.
In the case that something like this turns for the worst for your customers, it’s not a position your small business wants to be in. Knowing you’ve set up a secure website with an SSL/TLS certificate helps both your small business and your customers feel at ease.
A reliable Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate or Transport Layer Security certificate (TLS) authority will be able to provide a trusted connection that ensures security. An SSL/TLS certificate is a technology that secures and encrypts the sensitive data transferred between your customers and your server.
3. Use Strong Passwords
As simple as it may seem, hackers gain access to many websites because the passwords that protect them are too weak. Create strong passwords to help protect your site from hacking attempts from getting into your accounts.
This means having around 12-16 characters or more, a combination of letters, symbols, and no recognizable words should help do the trick. You should also regularly change your passwords to help confidentiality.
Even using the same ones for more than one account can be a convenience for you, but a negative for hackers getting into more than one account. Good password security can help to maintain your website integrity and help keep your business accounts in line.
4. Choose Plugins and Add-Ons Carefully
Outdated software is more susceptible to hacks and cyber-attacks. Just as you update your computer operating system to keep it secure, you need to update your website plugins and add-ons. Also, find out when the software was last updated by its creator. Some plugins are extremely important to your website’s security.
Continually updating and checking on them should be a process your business keeps in mind. When a plugin or add-on has been neglected for a long time, chances are it will introduce risks to your website. When it comes to choosing these website extras, be sure to check their ratings and the number of downloads for credibility.
5. Create Levels of Access
Setting up a secure website includes creating different levels of access for your digital accounts. Everyone who keeps their websites up-to-date will have their own login details. You can choose to impose different levels of access upon each of these logins.
As the owner of your small business, you should have complete access to the entire website. But it’s important to be aware of the dangers of sharing your login information.
6. Get Support
If you’re not technologically minded and don’t know an awful lot about online security measures, there’s a lot to learn when knowing how to create a safe website. Having the right help and support could save you time and improve the overall safety of your website.
Get a development company on board to ensure that even the most technical safety features are incorporated into your website design. Having professional insight and support can help advance your small business from the ground up. It also helps to build the essential security of your website.
7. Leave Lots of Time For Testing
When building a new website, lots of time and thought goes into the design and user experience. These are important aspects of your website, but they shouldn’t overshadow security issues.
A good developer will leave lots of time between website completion and website launch to test and tweak security features. Trial and error testing helps improve the mistakes you might not have seen the first time. Take all of the time you have to experiment with new security protocols and find what works best for your small business.
How to Make a Website Secure with Colour Moon Technologies.
It’s not simple to learn how to safeguard a website. As directed, you should update your CMS (Content Management System) and any plugins. Be aware of any updates to the security guidelines for websites. As crucial as building a secure website is maintaining that website’s security. Your small business website should be developed and strengthened through safeguarded security, SEO, and ongoing maintenance.
If you’re ever stuck and need some professional assistance, Colourmoon Technologies is here to help! Our white-label SEO services can help get your client’s websites seen by customers online. Get connected with our website development team today to learn more about our services and how we can help!
Conclusion
With a massive amount of money invested, the mobile app market is making significant gains. Numerous market participants, both well-established and up-and-coming, are prepared to take any measure to ensure the success of their apps.
As a developer, there is just no room for error with so much on the line. Attackers simply need one little security flaw to take down the entire program. Concerns regarding data and privacy security have emerged as one of the most popular themes in the world of mobile apps. In addition to having negative financial effects, a data breach harms the company’s reputation.
Because of how fiercely competitive the industry is, app developers and businesses cannot afford to let their guard down for even a moment. To prevent assaults and uphold high standards, it is necessary to ensure that the app is developed following all the recommendations and best practices put forward by industry professionals.
FAQS