Mobile apps are like H2O, we need every now and then. There would be an instance where you forget to drink water but not checking your phone. Reminders are set with the phone to drink water at every regular interval. Kudos to the mobile app to make water just a diddly-squat of your life. Just see how mobile phones are used now, even to remind one of the basic necessities, it is that much into human lives. Mobile apps are for every task that a person needs to do. Book flight, get directions, book hotel room, book table at the restaurant, track your fitness, connect with your dear ones, do banking, shopping and anything that strikes your mind, you have an app for the same. Feels smashing to handle all your life’s transactions right with your phone. The mechanism works this way: Software is connected to the servers and API across the globe and delivers services, data, information and convenience to the users right on their demand.
Mobile app development companies have to function under highly integrated security criteria, users personal details are at stake and a breach with that can eradicate the entire app market. It’s quite blatant, where there is a digital boom, hackers are not too far away. With ill-minded hackers, you are open to the threats like:
1) Intercepting classified data traveling over airwaves.
2) Abduct users data with fraudulent intent and identity theft.
3) Getting hold of private business assets.
4) Stealing intellectual property rights.
5) Get hold of your IP and capture back end network of the company.
6) Replicate your app’s code and insert malware through reverse engineering.
If you are still giving cold shoulder to cyber security breach, then let me take you on a stroll of security breach statistics.
The major threat of cyber attacks are to the small business as 43% of the hackers have their eye on them. Currently, only 14% of the small business has developed the caliber to keep aside the pitfalls and culpability of cyber attack and have a fully integrated security system. Six months, yes you heard it right, 60% of the small companies are kicked out of the business due to cyber attack withing time period of just 6 months. It is estimated that Mala Fide Intent amounts 48% of security breach whereas the rest are on the account of system failure or human error. Now you know, why mobile app security is so much important. The data that is most to be protected from cyber attack entails: 66% of security emphasis is given on the customer records followed by intellectual property at 49%. Credit card and debit card information is given security emphasis at 46% whereas financial information is given only 26% security value. This is how the hierarchy of security is set.
It’s quite blatant that statistics have made your eyes wide open but the major and serious security breaches lie ahead. Let’s dive in to check some of the live examples of a massive security breach of the apps that you probably use in your daily life.
1) Zomato
This app guides its users about the cafes, restaurants, and clubs. You would be fairly acknowledged of the same and used it also. Well, what you are not in know of is that 17 million users are stolen from this app indulging email address along with hashed passwords. During the security breach, logged users were logged out along with the password resetting of the web as well as the app. Zomato declared security notice to the customers that those who have logged on with the OAuth services like Google or Facebook are not at threat. Hence, 60% of the users were not affected by the attack.
2) Wonga
It’s a pay day loan company. Yes funds or let’s say a huge amount of funds are at stake. A gigantic data breach has been recorded which affected almost 2,45,000 of its clients where account numbers and codes were at risk. Keeping aside these two sensitive pieces of information, full names, home address, email address phone number and last four digits of the debit card have also gone missing. The company believes password to be safe but changing it, is a precautionary measure to be advised.
Being indulged in mobile application development, if you are not interested in being the next popular example of security breach just like the above two and being smashed out of the app market, it’s highly recommended to follow and implement below-mentioned tips for making your mobile app secure.
1) Coding of the app should secure as hell.
2) Hire a network security specialist and upgrade the security level of the network connections on the back end.
3) API security should be at top notch on security standards.
4) Test, test again, I might seem like a klazomaniac but I still repeat firmly, clearly and loudly test again. This is the stage to detect any existing vulnerabilities with your mobile app and attack on its redressal before hackers attack it and probably screw it.
5) Secure your app code with encryption. Incorporate highly integrated algorithms and conjoined with API encryption to make your app highly secure.
