5 Mobile App Security Trends You Need To Know Now

Mobile apps often deal with sensitive data, including personally identifiable information (PII), financial information, and health data. Businesses and organizations should be adept at applying app security, and must ensure data security and safety to avoid unauthorized access or misuse.

To ensure that their client’s data is safe, this mobile app development agency in Chicago keeps tabs on the following security trends:

1. Cloud-based security solutions
2. Automated security through artificial intelligence
3. Consolidated app security
4. Proactive app security is critical
5. Stopping advanced jailbreaking

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1. Focusing On Cloud-Based Security Solutions

Adoption of cloud-based apps and solutions has recently increased. Even during the pre-pandemic, various organizations used these services. In 2022, businesses worldwide had 41% of their information security apps and services through cloud-based services. This is a 15% increase compared to the data gathered in 2020.

Employees used cloud solutions to continue working as workplaces transitioned from on-site to remote work. As cloud-ready app security solutions grew, so did cloud-based apps.

Companies need agile, scalable, and flexible security solutions, so that the increased use of cloud computing apps does not place company data and assets at risk. Cloud-ready solutions are the latest trend because:

• Scaling security is easier. Cloud app security solutions can quickly and easily scale to accommodate growing business needs, without the use of additional hardware or infrastructure. This makes adding new users and devices easy as your organization expands.
• Offer flexible security. With cloud app security, users can access data and applications from anywhere, on any device, at any time. This flexibility can improve productivity and collaboration.
• Provides automatic updates. The provider automatically updates cloud app security solutions, ensuring that the latest security patches and features are always available. This helps reduce the risk of security vulnerabilities and assures that your organization is always protected.

2. Automating App Security Through Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Many organizations utilize AI technology to streamline their operational processes, leveraging its ability to automate tasks, process natural language, facilitate deep learning, and solve complex problems.

AI has made business tasks significantly easier, and with the growing frequency of cyber threats and attacks, AI app security is becoming a new trend. This stems from its unique capabilities, such as deep learning, which offer significant advantages in cybersecurity.

With the ability to analyze and mitigate large volumes of potentially malicious data without human intervention, AI can provide recommendations for future threats. This makes it an invaluable tool for improving app defenses. There are various benefits to applying AI to app security development:

• Detects vulnerability and anomalies. AI’s machine learning algorithms detect vulnerabilities and anomalies by analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns that indicate potential security risks.
• Provides accurate risk assessments. AI algorithms use contextual information to better understand the potential impact of a security risk, considering the type of data involved and the system's sensitivity. AI also helps organizations prioritize their security efforts and more effectively allocate resources.

3. Consolidating App Security

There is a new attack on the web every 39 seconds, overwhelming most security teams. This makes detecting legitimate threats more challenging, because teams usually spend time focusing on false positives. One of the reasons for this overload is that many security systems have standalone solutions.

Most modern security infrastructures use complex systems focusing on incident detection and faster response to threats. Though, many companies are looking into combining and simplifying security systems. Here are ways developers consolidate security, as it applies to B2B mobile app security:

• Securing app development process. Security should integrate into every phase of the mobile app development process, from design to deployment. Developers follow secure coding practices, conduct security testing, and incorporate defense features into the app.
• Using encryption. Developers use encryptions to protect sensitive data that is stored, or transmitted between the app and its servers.
• Implementing secure authentication. Secure authentication methods, such as two-factor or biometric authentication establish that only authorized users can access the app and its data.
• Conduct regular security testing. Traditional security testing identifies vulnerabilities in the app and its infrastructure. This includes both automated and manual testing.

4. Using Proactive App Security

A proactive approach to app security is another trend. It prioritizes cybersecurity strategies throughout development, rather than making them an add-on.

Proactive app security is the practice of implementing security measures and protocols during the development process of a mobile app. It involves identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities early in the development process, and addressing them before the app is released. Proactive app security engages in the following:

• Focus on threat modeling. Involves identifying potential security threats to the app and its users and analyzing the likelihood and impact of each threat.
• Continuous monitoring. Aside from regular testing, continuously monitoring the app’s infrastructure for potential security threats and vulnerabilities is crucial.
• Conducting security training. Educating developers and other stakeholders on best practices for app security is essential to this approach. Add this to your checklist when hiring a mobile app development agency.

5. Stopping Advanced Jailbreaking

Finally, preventing advanced jailbreaking is another mobile app development trend that you should not ignore. Advanced jailbreaking refers to more sophisticated techniques used by hackers to bypass the security mechanisms of mobile devices. This allows them to gain access to system-level privileges and perform unauthorized actions on the device.

This type of threat bypasses the security mechanisms that prevent the unauthorized installation of apps, letting users install pirated versions of paid apps. Jailbreaking results in financial losses for app developers and exposes users to security risks, as pirated apps may contain malware or other malicious code.

Advanced jailbreaking can modify the code of installed apps, permitting attackers to introduce malicious code that can steal user data, perform unauthorized actions, or compromise the device's security. Attackers gain access to login credentials, financial data, or personal information, such as data collected by mobile health apps.

To protect against advanced jailbreaking, a mobile app development agency conducts these practices:

• Use jailbreak detection. Detects when a user has jailbroken their device. This prevents the app from running on jailbroken devices or limits functionality.
• Implementing root detection. Helps detect when a user has rooted their Android device. It limits functionality or prevents the app from running on rooted devices.
• Including debugging detection: Helps detect when a user runs the app in a debugging environment. This prevents attackers from analyzing the app, identifying its vulnerabilities, or modifying it to carry out malicious actions.

Summing Up

The latest mobile app security trends focus on cloud-based security solutions, automated security through AI, consolidated app security, proactive app security, and avoiding advanced jailbreaking. App creators should incorporate security from the time of development in order to construct a safe and efficient app for their clients.

Do you want to learn more about mobile app security? Contact Digital Authority Partners today.