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What is a mobile application pen test?
Are your mobile applications secure?
What are the benefits of a mobile application pen test?
Meaning
The pentesting of mobile applications focuses on assessing the security of mobile apps on various platforms such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone. This covers applications that run on both cell phones and tablets. It involves assessing applications for security issues in the context of the platforms they are designed for, the frameworks used to develop them, and the expected group of users (e.g., employees vs. end users). Mobile applications are a crucial part of a company's online presence, and many companies rely entirely on mobile apps to connect with users around the world.
Are your mobile applications secure?
Mobile applications have become part and parcel of today's world. Users' behavior and preferences are increasingly shifting to a world of mobile computing. The differences between workstations, laptops, tablets and phones are getting smaller and smaller.
Where does cybersecurity fit into this picture? Did you know:
- It is estimated that more than 5 billion people own at least one mobile device worldwide.
- In 2008, the iOS App Store launched with 500 applications. Today there are about 2 million.
- Android users can now choose from more than 2.5 million applications.
Many of these applications store and process sensitive data and functionality. So how do we know if they are safe to use? Much of that question can be answered with a pen test for mobile applications.
Advice on a pen test for your mobile application?
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What are the benefits of a mobile application pen test?
With the meteoric pace of digitization, mobile apps have become an integral part of our lives. Mobile applications are used everywhere, from government portals, banking applications, e-commerce, healthcare platforms to virtual classrooms.
Securing these apps is increasingly challenging, as new vulnerabilities are found every day. Security awareness of mobile apps and devices is extremely low among users. Therefore, data security in mobile applications has become an absolute necessity. Pentests for mobile applications help secure apps and reduce the risks of fraud attacks, virus or malware infections, data leaks and other security vulnerabilities.
Pentests for mobile applications can identify and assess vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that can lead to security risks such as code execution, privilege escalation, data leaks and information disclosure. This is a continuous improvement process that is beneficial during application development.
There are many groups that would benefit from a pen test for mobile applications:
- Developers receive assurance that their product is safe for use among their customers.
- Organizations get assurance that a particular mobile application is safe for use in their business environment.
- Users feel more secure when using a mobile application, knowing that a thorough security test has been performed.
Simply put, a pen test provides insight into vulnerabilities and areas for improvement in the security of a mobile application.
Where are a mobile application's vulnerabilities located?
There are many ways in which a mobile application can succeed or fail when it comes to ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of a system and its data. Penetration testing for mobile apps will reveal the good and bad aspects of this cyber security. Experts who know what attackers know will use the same techniques against the mobile application. The well-known OWASP Foundation lists ten common vulnerabilities in mobile applications. These, and more, are all examined during a mobile application penetration test:
- Improper platform use. This occurs when published guidelines are violated, conventions are violated, and inadvertent misuse occurs. For example, an application that requires more permissions than its functional requirements likely increases the risk.
- Insecure data storage. Imagine a scenario where sensitive data is inadvertently synchronized in the cloud in a location that is publicly accessible. This would pose a high risk to the confidentiality of that data.
- Insecure communication. Most applications transmit sensitive data, and if there is not robust encryption in transit, that data is at risk of unauthorized access.
- Insecure authentication. Some applications do not implement any authentication mechanism, or implement a flawed authentication mechanism. A mobile banking application without strong authentication can allow an attacker to access and interact with an account they do not own.
- Insufficient cryptography. Here an attempt at encryption is made, but an error in the implementation means that the data is not fully protected. Thus, an attacker can open or manipulate data that should be unreadable to him.
- Insecure authorization. Assuming that authentication for the mobile application has taken place, errors in authorization can result in a user accessing another user's data or functionality.
- Poor quality client code. This occurs when the device side of a mobile application is compromised due to poor coding of an application, there is some security impact and the code of the mobile application that resides on the device needs to be rewritten.
- Tampering with code. The degree to which an application must protect the integrity of its own code varies by application purpose. Some applications require a high degree of assurance of device code integrity but perform no or insufficient checks to prevent code modification or tampering.
- Reverse Engineering. An attacker may attempt to reverse engineer the underlying source code of mobile applications to identify and exploit vulnerabilities or compromise intellectual property. There are several levels of defense that can be used to prevent attackers from employing these techniques.
- Additional functionality. It is not uncommon for applications to contain hidden or undocumented functionality that is not designed to enter the production environment. Such functionality usually reduces the overall security of the mobile application.
When should I choose a mobile application pen test?
So, when does a mobile application pen test come into play? If your organization develops or relies on mobile applications to communicate with customers, store sensitive data or perform transactions, it is essential to prioritize the security of your mobile ecosystem. Consider the following scenarios:
- Development of new mobile apps: Before launching a new mobile application, it is vital to ensure its security and protect user data. A mobile application pen test can help you identify vulnerabilities in the application's code, configurations or integrations so that you can proactively address them and launch a secure application.
- Mobile app updates and upgrades: When implementing updates or making significant changes to your existing mobile applications, it is critical to verify that these changes do not introduce new vulnerabilities. A mobile application pen test can assess the security of the updated application and ensure that it remains secure and does not compromise user data or privacy.
- Compliance requirements: Many industries, such as healthcare and finance, have specific regulatory standards related to mobile application security. Having mobile applications tested is often a mandatory requirement to meet security standards. A pen test can help you meet these obligations and demonstrate your commitment to user data security.
- Security of third-party apps: If your organization integrates third-party mobile applications or relies on external APIs, it is crucial to assess their security. A mobile application pen test can evaluate the security of third-party applications and APIs and identify potential vulnerabilities that could affect your organization's overall security.
- Ongoing security of mobile apps: Mobile application security is an ongoing effort that requires constant monitoring and assessment. Regularly scheduled mobile pen tests help you identify new vulnerabilities, close security gaps and stay ahead of evolving mobile threats, ensuring the ongoing security of your mobile applications.
Are you considering having your mobile ecosystem security assessed by a team of Cybersecurity experts, with the goal of making actionable recommendations to improve the security of your mobile applications? Please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to tell you more about securing your mobile application.