Building Secure Mobile Apps: Essential Strategies for App Security

Security always needs to be a top-of-mind concern for businesses. This is especially true for companies with mobile apps.

A data breach or hack can cause significant damage to your organization. Security breaches are not only expensive, but they can also crush your reputation.

To ensure security for your business and customers, you must take app security seriously.

That’s why I created this guide. First, I’ll explain some common mobile security flaws and vulnerabilities for mobile devices. Then I’ll show you how to build secure mobile apps.

Mobile App Security Threats

Most businesses understand the importance of securing websites, databases, and cloud storage systems. But mobile app security is just as important, if not more important than these other categories.

Think about the scale of your mobile deployment. It might be installed on tens of thousands of mobile devices—maybe more. 

Mobile app security issues are more prominent than you might realize. In fact, 70% of all internet fraud can be traced to mobile devices. One in five hacks come from rogue mobile apps, and there’s a high-risk mobile app installed on one in 36 mobile devices.

Let’s talk about some common application security threats and mobile app security vulnerabilities you need to be aware of.

Data Leakage

According to a recent study, 85% of mobile apps have little to no security protection. Hackers and cybercriminals have realized this and have increased the frequency in which they target mobile infrastructures.

When a user downloads an app, they generally grant the app certain permissions to other data on the device. So if a hacker can penetrate the app, they’ll gain access to sensitive data beyond the primary use-case of the app.

This could include digital wallets and passwords. If it’s an internal app for employees, the hackers can get their hands on sensitive corporate data as well.

Malware and Spyware

Like computers, mobile apps are also susceptible to malware. 

Some devices are more susceptible to malware threats than others. In fact, a new study found that Android devices are 47 times more likely to carry malware than Apple devices. 

Aspect	Android	Apple
Malware Susceptibility	47 times more likely	Less likely
App Store Policy	Supports third-party stores	Restricts to official store

That’s because Androids support third-party app stores more than iOS. It’s easier for an Android user to download apps from somewhere other than the Google Play Store. 
Nearly one in four people think it’s safe to download third-party mobile apps as long as those apps aren’t accessing corporate data.

This is something that Android developers really need to be aware of. Once a malicious app has been installed on a user’s device, it could compromise the other apps on their device as well—even the ones downloaded from legitimate sources. 

Compromised Passwords

Our society has a huge problem with passwords right now. Since so many different tools, accounts, and subscriptions require a password, people just reuse the same passwords across multiple accounts.

So if one account is compromised, hackers can run wild across other accounts as well.

What would happen if one of your developers or someone on your software development team had a compromised password? Could a hacker use that password to gain app access on the backend of your software? 

If yes, that poses a huge risk to your organizational data and app users. Cybercriminals could use that access to deploy malicious links or hacks directly to all users who have your app installed.

Outdated Operating Systems and Software

Failing to keep all of your devices, software, and OS up to date is a mobile security vulnerability. 

As malware, ransomware, and other cyber attacks become more advanced, outdated software can’t detect and prevent newer attacks. But many software updates contain security patches. This holds true for mobile apps, mobile devices, and mobile security as well.

Check out these graphs Verizon’s Mobile Security Index Report:

As you can see, newer Android versions contain fewer CVEs (common vulnerabilities and exposures).Just a fraction of the newest Android releases contain high security vulnerabilities.

Now let’s look at Apple’s CVE’s by iOS version:

It’s safe to say that this graph speaks for itself.

If people are using mobile devices that haven’t been updated to the latest OS, they’re significantly more susceptible to mobile security threats. 

Social Engineering and Phishing

Social engineering is on the rise for mobile. Also known as phishing, this occurs when hackers send fake emails, text messages, or malicious ads in an effort to access passwords or private information.

We’ve all seen these before. You get an email from someone claiming to be Apple or another reputable business, telling you to reset your password or update an expired credit card.

Shockingly, nearly 60% of people say they can’t confidently identify social engineering attacks. Roughly 40% think it’s smart to reply to these attacks.

These numbers are alarming and pose a threat to mobile applications and developers. 

Encryption Gaps

End-to-end encryption is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of mobile application security. 

Any data being transmitted from one point to another should be encrypted. Whether it’s going from your users’ mobile devices to your system, from your system to cloud storage, or from you to a third-party service, encryption is a must.

If these security measures aren’t taken seriously, hackers and cybercriminals can exploit holes in data transfer and steal data while it’s in motion. 

For example, let’s say you have an internal employee messaging app. If those messages aren’t encrypted, someone could potentially access everything your staff is saying when they’re chatting via mobile. This could put sensitive data and private company information into the wrong hands.

11 App Security Best Practices

Now that you’ve seen some common mobil

90% of your security vulnerabilities are eliminated if you build an app on the right platform. 

Development Approach	Security Implications
Using a platform with built-in security features	App is safe on the platform’s security architecture
Coding the app yourself with an in-house team or third-party agency	App’s security could be more vulnerable; relies on the development team’s security practices

With Buildfire, not only is your app secure on the backend, but it also comes with features to enhance user security.

If you’re coding an app from scratch with a traditional development team, your security vulnerabilities are significantly higher. There is just so much that needs to be protected and taken into consideration.

Aspect	Traditional Development	No-Code App Builder (Buildfire)
Development Speed	Slower	Faster
Ease of Use	Complex	Easier
Cost	Higher	Cheaper
Security Concerns	Higher	Alleviated

Using a no-code app builder like Buildfire to create an app is a safer alternative. Not only is this faster, easier, and cheaper than traditional development, but it also alleviates nearly all of your application security concerns.

You don’t have to worry about applying advanced mobile security policies to the app. Buildfire handles everything on the backend. All you need to do is apply basic password protection to your account and be careful who you grant admin privileges to on your team.

Buildfire comes with built-in security, user authentication, automatic updates, and more. It’s everything you could possibly need to create a secure mobile app from scratch. For DIY apps, enterprise apps, business apps, internal employee apps, and more, Buildfire has app security covered.

If you decide to code an app on your own, that’s fine too. Handling the security aspects will be a bit more of a daunting task. But your life will be easier if you follow the tips and best practices explained in this guide.