So, you have launched a number of apps for various aspects of your business and have been able to expand your user footprint significantly. With this achievement, the volumes of user data and other sensitive information flowing through your systems gets exposed to the threat of unscrupulous hacking. With so many payment gateways, interoperating systems, and outsourced partners, data is perhaps the most vulnerable in the virtual world.
Smartphones have made it mandatory for mobile apps to take in this data to feed backend operations of all sorts of business. Gartner has predicted that 75% of the hacks in 2017 will be due to misconfiguration of apps. It is therefore of utmost importance that those developing Android applications in India consider security as a prime focus area.
There are a few things Android developers need to take care of in order to create secure mobile apps:
- Secure your code and the data
The app is as secure as its code. Hackers often pick up the code available on public domain and reverse-engineer it to create a splitting image of the original, but it is enthused with malware. Thus, Android programming must use tools and platforms that can lock and secure the source code. An exposed code is highly susceptible to client-side injection by malware. Secure configuration must be done to maintain the code. The API’s are hooks into a software; hence apps must identify the caller of the API and check the permissions before going further.
- Secure the environment and network connection
Apps pump data relentlessly and unsuspectingly by the user. The device’s underlying security model is prone to jailbreaks. It is important to restrict access to enterprise data by these devices and the apps lying there. Judicious app design elements should take care of picking out only relevant data for the desired functionality. The network connection to cloud-based systems should be secured. VPN, SSL and TLS are some of the standards that can be used by Android applications. You may wish to read more about important security features like VPNs online in order to be as educated on the subject as possible. As always, conducting research every step of the way is very important. Sites like www.alwaysvpn.com are the perfect place for you to find out more about VPNs and how they can help improve online security. A VPN is a super simple solution – it allows you to access the internet via a server that is not at your personal location, and, therefore, no one is able to determine your precise location. A lot of VPNs are free and there are many country-specific options out there so speeds are reduced too much. For example, if you live in Canada, you can search “best canada vpn” and you will find plenty of options.
- Categorise your apps
You may have a number of apps for your enterprise. One cannot always focus on all apps at the same time. Hence, when launching or maintain an app, it is a wise idea to categorise it in priority in terms of security threat levels – high, medium or low, or other such parameters, such that optimum efforts on security aspects of each app can be considered.
- Invest in robust encryption
Data traveling over interfaces has chances of being intercepted for misuse. Hence, apps must incorporate smart encryption strategy at the very onset of app development. All databases and data files as well as the stored must be encrypted code. In fact, the encryption key management process must be also reviewed and updated regularly for continued cryptographic security.
- Impactful authorization
Intelligent security layers to authenticate your users is a good way of reducing unauthorised access. This validates the user’s identity in multiple ways and thus controls access. Furthermore, OAuth2 and Open ID are some specific technologies that a person keen to learn Android programming must focus on. Including these in an app will enhance its security. Repeating different types of authorisation at multiple levels within the system and not just at entry level is a better way to ensure authorized access.
Mobility is a boon, but it is also a threat that are a favourite target for malware. An Android app development company in Mumbai that takes care of the above-mentioned points will help you to leverage the benefits of enhanced productivity, far-reach, increased employee satisfaction, with a handle on the security of business-critical data and informational assets.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Author
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With 14+ years in IT and entrepreneurship, I co-founded Nimap Infotech, a digital transformation company that has delivered 1200+ projects and built a team of 400+ engineers. I’ve also led mobile development teams at Accenture India and IBM Apple Garage and developed a network of 7k+ iOS and Android developers. As an Angel Investor, tech advisor, and mentor, I actively engage with the startup ecosystem.
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