We know that nowadays the usage of smartphones is growing exponentially. The mobile devices that are in use are more than three billion according to Statista and it might grow to a much higher number in the coming years. Smartphones became an essential tool for all to maintain their personal data, business data, and many more. And to serve these essentials many mobile applications are designed. Using this situation, hackers are exploiting the user’s data directly.

Growth in the number of applications with lesser security measures has also increased. This has provided hackers to get access to mobile devices more easily. The vulnerabilities are from both sides, from a developer with insecure app development and also from the user clicking on malicious links. So, here are some preventive measures against cyber threats.

Writing a secure code:

The main entry for the attackers is provided by the bugs and vulnerabilities in the code. They will try to reverse engineer the code and exploit it. All they need is the opensource of your application. Minimizing and obfuscating the code makes reverse engineering tough to be performed. Making the code easy to update and patch provides extra security. Repeated testing and fixing the bugs should be executed.

Secured Authentication of users:

It is possible for someone to perform different attacks like Bruteforce or phishing and get the passwords of the users. So, it is the responsibility of the developer to ensure that all the privacy points, authentications, and mobile security features are included in the application. It is recommended to include two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication services. Using captchas also decreases the probability of attack by Bruteforcing.

Encrypting the data:

All the data that is transmitted or shared on the application should be encrypted all the time. So, even if the hacker breaks into the application he cannot get access to the data. Many enterprises are already looking into “remote wipe” capabilities to address stolen or lost devices. It should be kept in mind that when writing to on-device logs. In Android, logs are a shared resource and are available to an application with the READ_LOGS permission. Even though the phone log data is temporary and erased on reboot, inappropriate logging of user information could inadvertently leak user data to other applications.

Use Networking:

There are numerous transactions that occur across the networks like for purchasing, paying bills, etc. So, it is important to protect the privacy of the users. Appropriate secure protocols should be applied during the transactions. Using SMS service may provide two-factor authentication but do not provide security to the level. So, it is recommended to use Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) and IP networking to send and receive messages to the application on the user device.

Using Tested Libraries:

When developers are using third-party or opensource libraries, it is a must to test the library for bugs thoroughly before including in the application. The GNU C Library, for instance, had a security flaw that could allow attackers to remotely execute malicious code and crash a system. As useful they are, some libraries can be insecure for mobile applications.

Principle of Least Privilege:

Have you ever observed a calculator asking for permission to access Contacts? 

Is that necessary? No. The application should request permissions that are required for the function of it. Do not make unnecessary network connections. The application’s code should be updated more often.

Proper use of cryptography:

One should never store the keys used for encryption as hardcoded. It is easier for malicious actors to steal those. It is recommended to use standard cryptographic tools like AES encryption with SHA-2 hashing.

Input Validation:

If the application has something to take as input, make sure that the input is validated. If not, there is a possibility of uploading malicious code to the application and executing it to exploit the resources.

Threat Models To Defend Data:

Threat modeling is a method used to deeply understand the problem that is being solved, where issues may exist, and strategies to defend against them. A well-informed threat model insists the team understands how different operating systems, platforms, frameworks, and external APIs transfer and store their data.

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