Top Mobile App Vulnerabilities and How to Avoid Them

Not any of the mobile application in today’s world is a secure one. Each of them has certain flaws which can easily be accessed by a third party. These flaws make not only the mobile devices vulnerable to attacks but also the personal data stored in it gets leaked. Flaws here can be anything, whether it is related to hardware or the software.

Today you can find millions of applications on the internet for your handset but there is no guarantee if they all are secured to their best level. Every single day a new app comes into the market but only the best which is least prone to attacks or other vulnerabilities book their spots among the greatest ones. So here are some top mobile app vulnerabilities and tips to avoid them efficiently:

1. Encryption

It is always risky to use applications which are non-encrypted. Encryption makes it sure that your data is being transferred safely to the destination. Some apps usually develop a third party encrypted connection and leak personal data of the user. TLS/SSL Encryption frameworks are the most safest ones to use/insert in any application to allow a good secure connection. So mobile developers must take care of this while building any application.

2. Poor Storage Practices

This is one of the basic vulnerabilities most applications are prone to. Developers must not include unsafe storage locations in the apps because it degrades the overall performance of the app. For eg: SQLite makes it easy to store compact data at local points in the device. The poor storage means anyone can access your data simply by stealing any file attached to the application which may contain your details and the contents of the application. That’s why it is recommended to equip devices with highly efficient and organised storage devices.

3. Malware

There is also a lot of malware that you are forced to install from the play store due to disguised identity they possess of being a good app. Although there is a Google Bouncer available at the play store to auto detect and block any type of Malware but still it fails to do so. So, to ensure a good application, developers must check if the app contains any malware or not. Also, there are a lot of free as well as paid Anti-Malware applications available that can protect you from falling prey to a malicious application.

4. Improper Authorization

We usually provide permission to some apps to get access to other applications and later regret for doing so. Doing this can establish an unwanted connection with a third party which can easily steal all the data from your handset. Instead, check for access permissions before simply hitting “Accept” button. Also unauthorized access can lead to secretly storing data of your device at some other location online. This can be dangerous.

5. Synchronization Problem

Data leakage is a major concern while synchronising phone’s data with the cloud. Synchronization with the cloud may not be a necessary happening every time. Your app can synchronize your data with some other services also which is harmful. The destination servers might be faulty even if you have the best secured versions installed. To avoid this problem, the user must have completely different passwords for different applications. This avoids confusion and cross connection between servers. Unique passwords are the most reliable and recommended ones for security reasons. Also it is not necessary that you synchronize every application to the cloud.

6. Insecure Session Handling

The device you are using must have at least a few secure session handling mechanisms to avoid loosing data. SSL/TLS frameworks provide the best connection paths and session handling facilities. So you can ensure your data protected within your device during malfunctioning of the device itself.

So, these were the top vulnerabilities and a few measures to avoid or control them within a certain limit.

We at AppInventiv have a special team that is well versed with the subtleties of mobile app development. We have developed iPhone, iPad, Android and Wearable apps for our clients across the globe from different sectors. If you have an app idea, do not hesitate to connect with us.