Mobile applications handle sensitive data on devices outside your control. Users install apps on personal phones, access corporate resources from coffee shops, and run outdated operating systems. Securing mobile apps requires accepting you cannot trust the device.
Certificate pinning prevents man-in-the-middle attacks. Mobile apps should validate server certificates against known good certificates rather than trusting device certificate stores. Attackers who install rogue certificates on devices cannot intercept pinned connections.
Data storage on mobile devices demands encryption. Sensitive data cached locally should never sit in plaintext. Application sandboxes provide some isolation, but sophisticated attacks access data from other apps. Strong encryption protects data even when device security fails.
Binary protection hinders reverse engineering. Attackers decompile mobile applications, studying code for vulnerabilities and extracting hardcoded secrets. Obfuscation, anti-tampering checks, and runtime application self-protection make reverse engineering substantially harder. Professional web application penetration testing adapted for mobile applications identifies vulnerabilities in both the app and supporting APIs.
Jailbroken and rooted devices operate without normal security protections. Mobile apps should detect compromised devices, warning users or restricting functionality. Banking and healthcare apps especially need to identify and respond to device compromise.
William Fieldhouse, Director of Aardwolf Security Ltd, observes: “Mobile security extends beyond the application code. Backend APIs, authentication mechanisms, and data handling all factor into mobile security. We often find well-secured mobile apps talking to vulnerable APIs that undermine all client-side protections.”
Session management in mobile environments differs from web applications. Mobile apps maintain longer sessions to improve user experience. Stolen session tokens grant prolonged access. Token refresh mechanisms, biometric re-authentication, and risk-based access decisions balance usability with security.
Third-party libraries in mobile apps introduce risks. Analytics SDKs, advertising frameworks, and utility libraries all add functionality and attack surface. Vetting third-party code and keeping libraries updated prevents exploitation of known vulnerabilities.
Deep linking enables inter-app communication but creates security concerns. Applications respond to URL schemes, allowing other apps to invoke functionality. Insufficient validation of deep link parameters enables injection attacks and unauthorised actions.
Mobile malware increasingly targets banking and cryptocurrency applications. Overlay attacks display fake login screens over legitimate apps, stealing credentials. Keyloggers capture sensitive input. Runtime protections detect and prevent these attacks.
API security matters as much as mobile app security. Mobile applications are often thin clients calling backend APIs. Those APIs handle authentication, authorisation, and business logic. Vulnerable APIs undermine secure mobile applications. When you request a penetration test quote for mobile security, ensure both app and API testing are included.
Mobile device management balances security with privacy. Corporate MDM solutions enforce security policies on devices accessing company resources. Users resist invasive MDM on personal devices. Containerisation separates corporate data from personal data, protecting company information without invading privacy.
