How to Build a Mobile App Security Strategy

With 3.8 billion mobile app users around the globe, mobile applications are how we get everything from grocery shopping to banking done in a day. Mobile apps serve as engines for global commerce and business. The total number of app downloads is set to hit 288 billion in 2024. Alongside usage growth, mobile app revenue was projected to have reached $935 billion by the end of 2023. Given the amount of activity that happens within mobile applications, how can organizations be sure the app has the right level of protections in place to keep all of the data contained within and passing through it safe from bad actors?

As you build, publish and maintain these critical mobile applications, you play an important role in ensuring the security of your mobile apps. Best practice dictates that protections should be layered throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC) to prevent reverse engineering and tampering of mobile applications by threat actors.

We often hear that mobile application development teams are stretched thin and many lack the security expertise and resources to ensure the proper levels of security are built into their applications. With that in mind, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to mobile app security to help provide a clear path to building a mobile application security strategy.

This guide explores the elements needed to secure mobile apps properly, how responsibilities must be divided among mobile app stakeholders, best practices in selecting and implementing mobile app security tools, and the key processes and cultural mindsets that must underpin any strong security program.

We outline the shared responsibility model within mobile app security. For mobile app developers, responsibilities include implementing robust and appropriate security and protection measures, comply with guidelines and regulations, prevent modded apps, and provide clarity around security practices to users and other stakeholders. Some tools and best practices we recommend include:

• Implementing static and dynamic protections
• Adhering to OWASP standards
• Conducting regular security testing (both MAST and pentesting)
• Monitoring live apps continuously
• Improving security with every new release

We also share the top six core components that make up a mobile application security strategy and highlight the importance of identifying your organization’s mobile app security needs based on understanding your industry, app types and security threats. Securing the personal data and protecting the integrity of transactions is important to everyone that forms a part of that mobile app ecosystem.

After reading this guide you will have a clear sense of where to start and how to progress so you can be confident that your valuable mobile apps are, indeed, well protected.

Download the Comprehensive Guide to Mobile App Security today to learn more.