Mobile App (Photo credit: mdurwin2)
- The solution is the problem
- Building secure apps: five important considerations
- Err on the side of caution
What was once a utility for mobile phones, the mobile application space has ballooned into its own industry. In fact, the entire mobile phone market is largely driven by applications. For instance, IDC has predicted that by 2015 users will have downloaded upwards of 183 billion mobile apps.
In short, the mobile app development industry is both massive and growing. With that in mind, the biggest concern over mobile app development has to do with security. Today’s mobile users entrust every aspect of their lives with mobile applications, and they want to know that their information is safe in the mobile universe.
The solution is the problem
The problem is that what makes mobile app development successful – fairly easy to develop/quick deployment – may also prove to be its weakness. Developers that deploy too quickly often run the risk of building an app that’s flimsy on security. This comes from a mentality that essentially says “deploy now, debug later.” Experts are saying that this is a little shortsighted, and potentially hazardous to the future of mobile development as a whole.
Building secure apps: five important considerations
1. Start with security – The best way to ensure your app stays secure is by having security in mind before you even start planning the app. Before you even think about features, functions and design quality, begin discussing security measures you will take throughout the development and deployment process. This will save you hours upon hours of damage control later on.
2. Prepare your app – Every good idea needs a road map to ensure you arrive at your destination quickly and safely. Mobile app development is no different. Plan, plan and plan some more. The planning and preparation stage involves gathering as much data as possible for your app. This includes the type of users you want to target, how these users navigate through an application and what type of development platform you want to use. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to bolster application security once you actually start building the app.
3. Include security in the design stage – Once you start designing the app, it’s important to have a comprehensive list to guide you through potential security pitfalls. If you don’t, things can go south pretty quickly the farther you are down the app design road. If you don’t already, have a mobile security expert perform a comprehensive review of potential design security pitfalls early on.
4. Security and mobile development – The big idea in the development stage is to eliminate bugs and other security issues. It’s during this process that you solidify the source code before you deploy the app. When in doubt, bring in some more experienced app developers to review your code.
5. Test, retest, train, and test again – Finally, after you’ve gone through the rigorous process of planning, designing and developing the app, you should test every aspect of it for any potential security vulnerabilities. This is where you record every aspect of the app’s processes, how they’re carried out and where they’re weak on security. This is also where a team of testers and quality assurance specialists come in handy. They will test and analyze your app thoroughly, and give you feedback on potential security and performance issues.
Err on the side of caution
Security is tricky. So much data flows back and forth among mobile apps that building a foolproof app seems daunting. Users want assurance that their financial and personal data is safe with you. No developer or company can be too careful about this. All it takes is one major security breach to taint your company’s reputation forever.
At the end of the day, the developers who are heavy-handed on security will be the ones who thrive in the long-term.
