Because we use our phones for a little bit of everything, including entertainment like playing games, watching movies, or surfing social media, it can be easy to forget that our phones carry around an awful lot of sensitive data. Beyond even personal items like pictures or saved files, our phones are increasingly used for work purposes, which means that data security is a prominent contemporary concern. When, according to some studies, 84% of consumers use the same phone for both work and business, getting your phone hacked is suddenly a much larger problem than it may seem at first.
Mobile apps represent a critical element of current security threats. While mobile apps have been embraced by both individuals and companies alike for a variety of reasons, they can also compromise the security of a device. Finding it hard to believe? A recent study from security company Arxan of paid and free apps on both Android and Apple iOS found that 100% of the 100 most popular paid Android apps had been hacked, as well as 56% of Apple’s top 100. Though the numbers were better for free apps, they still weren’t encouraging: 73% and 53% of the 100 most popular free-to-download apps on Android and Apple iOS had been compromised, respectively.
When it comes to mobile data security, it’s best to start with a device that you can be sure is safe. While “jailbreaking” a new phone may save you some money in the short term, it could very well cost you far more in the long run. Jailbreaking compromises the underlying security model, which could give malicious software access to your files. Businesses should be vigilant about keeping compromised devices away from company data, and individuals should weigh the safety risks inherent in jailbreaking a phone before making any purchasing decisions.
And while it’s important for devices to be secure, it’s also important for code itself to be watertight. Hackers often start attacks on devices or apps by searching out bugs or weak spots in the code itself. When an app is already publicly available, all a hacker needs to do is download a copy and take a look under the hood. When creating a mobile app, work with the best mobile app development companies — those who are willing to take the time to explore every last potential vulnerability. Ensure that your developer is willing to commit to more than just a cursory security scan. Companies like Toronto’s Guaraná Technologies, for instance, makes a point of both using analytic tools to track down bugs and imperfections during development, and then subsequently performs regular maintenance once the app has been launched in order to keep things running smoothly.
As many digital security experts will tell you, securing a mobile app is a task that never ends. Anyone looking to design the next big mobile app should remember that on data security, if you don’t want to be compromised, don’t compromise.