As hacking attacks and breaches become a common phenomenon, the security of your Android app becomes as important as the core features it offers. Both consumer-facing and enterprise apps hold vital data; while consumer apps fetch data related to personal and financial details, enterprise apps hold the key business information that the users can access from anywhere. In both cases, you cannot afford to compromise with the security of data because any breach can cause extensive losses for the business. For this very reason, taking apt measures for ensuring security should be prioritized as a part of the Android app development process. When you do choose an app development company for creating an Android app, ensure that they adopt the following measures.
Secure native code
Primarily, the security of the native code is the place to start. This can be done by using the Android SDK instead of Android NDK. By integrating the native code during development, data is received by the app over the network, which exposes it to security risks. The use of Android SDK eliminates this risk by keeping the native code secure.
Data encryption
App security encompasses all types of data which is stored in the mobile devices, including the data that is transmitted between the app and back-end server in addition to the source code. Data encryption is a highly effective measure for strong holding the Android app security and keeps your precious data secure from all kinds of hacking attacks.
High-level authentication
Another measure that you can count on to keep your app impeccably secure is high-level multi-factor authentication. Tools such as OAuth 2.0 and JSON web tokens enable the set up of an advanced authentication mechanism, which ensures additional security for the app. A secure access gateway enables only compliant devices and authorized applications to access corporate resources from the app.
Secure the server
While securing apps is one side of the picture, server security is the aspect that you should not ignore at any cost. The server to makes a vulnerable target for the hackers as they often try attacking its API. Therefore, securing the server and API is important to ensure app security. Conducting code reviews and adding a firewall for the web application are some of the steps that you can take for this purpose.
Code obfuscation
The process of code obfuscation involves making it obscure to the extent that it becomes unintelligible for humans and decompiler. This makes the code absolutely impenetrable, enhances its confidentiality, and prevents reverse engineering. So opting for code obfuscation is another smart move that Android developers can make.
Regular testing and updating
Devices that run on the older versions of the OS are at high risk of being hacked. Similarly, outdated apps also have vulnerabilities and weaknesses that make them easy targets. Regular penetration testing and updates are regarded as an important measure for securing the app.
Protection of transit data
Besides securing the app itself, you should also make sure that the transit data is fully protected. This can be done for enterprise apps with proactive defenses such as status-based access control and advanced jailbreak detection. Ensure that the business data and applications can be deleted from lost or stolen devices to prevent it from falling into wrong hands. Similarly, remote erasure of enterprise data should also be enabled.
Strong data validations
Also known as input validation, data validation refers to the practice of testing the input that a user supplies. The purpose of data validation is to prevent improperly formed data from making way into the information system. Having a strong data validation keeps the Android application secure from threats.
Detection of code tamper
Undoubtedly, you would want to take all the requisite measures to keep your app secure but there should also be a provision for detecting code tamper when there is need. The solution would be to deploy anti-tamper mechanisms such as anti-virus software, signature verification, and activity logs for keeping track of infected or vulnerable libraries which are added to the app’s source code.
Security and confidentiality
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) recommends the use of an encryption key of a minimum of 128 bits. Further, pinning certificate and hash usage make the app’s security even stronger. It involves the return of the completes request as a hashed string with a secret key. The server compares the string with the request it receives and verifies any modification in the process.
Conclusion
Seeing all that needs to be done for ensuring unmatched security for your Android app, you cannot leave it to a novice. The best approach would be to collaborate with an Android app development company and engage resources from them. At Mobibiz, we are a seasoned team of developers with expertise in both Android and iOS platforms. We develop high-quality Android apps that are feature-rich, performance-oriented, and secure. Connect with us to empower your business with an Android app that keeps your data secure from all kinds of hacking attacks.
