Mobile App Security Concerns And Solutions
Today’s mobile apps aren’t only being used by device users in their personal lives; businesses have now realized that they can use apps to improve customer service, communicate special deals and increase their efficiency overall. But mobile apps have a dark side; they can be prone to all manner of security breach, which can place both company and customer data at risk.
Hackers Love Mobile Devices
When everyone was using computers, hackers did – and still do – enjoy trying to breach their security. But an even more favorable target for hackers these days is the mobile device, simply because there is little security, despite having the same processing power as a laptop or desktop computer.
Another reason hackers love mobile devices is that their users are not doing the same things to protect their devices as they would their computers at home. Despite this, the popularity of mobile devices continues to increase, as will the instances of security breaches if this phenomenon is not reversed.
Mobile App Security – Beyond The User
Indeed, there are several mobile devices on the market today, each with their own platform, hardware and development language. This means that mobile security measures must be developed for each one. Another issue is the rate at which new platforms are being released; no longer are developers releasing one application and platform; that number has increased to four or five, which has revealed even more vulnerable areas for hackers to take advantage of.
The rush to get applications or features to market is considered to be the first issue that has ultimately led to a breakdown in mobile security. But older issues are also at play. One of these is a lack of proper or any developer training five or six years ago, along with very little training of developers by the companies they work for.
As well, there is no testing whatsoever of mobile applications being conducted by over sixty percent of developers.
It may seem ironic that the very individuals who are responsible for the development and release of these apps are simply allowing them to be released, full of vulnerabilities, into the open market. It’s especially ironic considering that there are more threats than ever to mobile security.
Mobile App Security And The Cloud
So far this year, according to experts, it appears that the cloud is being looked to more and more for the tools that will help to increase the security of apps and mobile devices. Here, the issue of Big Data is actually looked upon with favor, as the cloud can store infinitely large amounts of data. For the case of mobile devices and app security, information found in the cloud can provide answers as to how to improve security and close vulnerabilities. In the case of spotting and responding to threats, the cloud can drastically decrease the time it takes to do both. The more information about security threats that is stored in one central cloud database, the easier it will be to locate more information on that particular threat.
However experts warn that, in order for this scenario to work seamlessly, those involved with gathering information must work together to build the database, which would mean increased focus would need to be placed on sharing and intelligence.
Should the above occur, a total mobile device and security solution would only work if skilled individuals in the incident response and cyber security realms are the ones who put the cloud solution together and maintain it. Following this, organizations would need to exert more control over their systems of remote access.
While it isn’t clear whether or not this scenario will offer a solution, it is widely suspected that a balance between accessibility and protection will be the key to obtaining adequate application and mobile device security in the very near future.
Citations:
Guest author Renee Simmons writes on a variety of topics related to technology. She recommends www.hostingandbackup.com as a resource for small business owners wanting to develop an online presence.
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