Mobile apps are taking the world by storm. They are everywhere and in every business. Right from booking tickets to paying utility bills, and to internet banking, people use apps on smartphones for almost everything.
Smartphone companies are lowering the prices of phones to make then more affordable and accessible, which is increasing the space for mobile app developers. Besides, as competition rises and middle-class people incline toward using apps to do small chores from the comforts of their homes, more and more businesses are turning toward app business. However, the pace at which the business is growing, its security is not given much importance. Companies forget to pay attention to the importance of Fast Identity Online standards which stresses the use of a biometric authentication system for your mobile app.
What hackers are capable of?
If you know what hackers can do to you and what they are capable of, it will easier for you to decide whether to integrate a biometric authentication system into your mobile app or not. Here is a rundown of how a hacker approaches his target.
- They can inject malicious code into your app. They also can leave a Trojan on your device, which helps them get access to the database, passwords, and keystrokes. Once they have access, they can manipulate the app at will.
- They can tamper with the app code and manipulate it to develop a fraudulent version of it so that they can dupe the users into thinking that it is original. Once the user enters his or her login credentials, the hackers get in control of the account.
- A hacker can potentially intercept information when you are about to carry out a task on the smartphone. This can be from the user’s end or the client’s end. In most cases, the interception takes place from the user’s end.
- A hacker is highly likely to access the IP address of the user once he gets access. He can jeopardize the security of the company and get hold of its intellectual property.
Social networking apps are equally important from a security point of view because they contain plenty of personal information of users like date of birth, location, name, and address.
How to secure the app?
Mobile app security is not linear. It consists of multiple layers. The security of each layer of the app gets to play a key role in the overall security of the mobile app. You ought to secure the back end of the app, the databases, the operating systems, and user data. The basic step, which is mostly ignored by most app developers, is developing secure code. Vulnerabilities in the code generally arise from human error, insufficient testing, and lack of maintenance. You should do the following for making the app secure.
- Encrypt the code so that it is hard to read.
- Test the source code of the app to slash the chances of an attack.
- The code ought to be easy to be patched and updated so that it stays strong while in use.
