To keep corporate and user data safe, IT must continuously ensure mobile app security. Mobile application security audits are a helpful tool to stay on top of data protection.
Conducting a mobile app security audit requires an effective strategy and knowledge of the issues IT might encounter.
Mobile apps are essential for hybrid and remote organizations. Employees in these organizations need real-time access to corporate data and backend systems anytime, anywhere. This raises the stakes for conducting mobile app security audits during app development and while the app is in production.
What is a mobile app security audit?
A mobile app security audit focuses on the security aspects of a mobile application. It examines the app's code, functionality and architecture to find vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. This is different from a mobile device security audit, which evaluates all aspects of the device's security, including its operating system and installed applications.
An app audit enhances the mobile application's security posture by addressing potential threats and ensuring compliance with industry standards. It involves thorough code reviews, penetration testing and analysis of features such as encryption and API security. Additionally, the audit checks access control mechanisms and the security of third-party components within the app.
Mobile app security audits address the following key areas:
Authentication and authorization. This should include identity verification, secure login mechanisms and proper session management.
Data encryption. Complex encryption algorithms help secure data in transit and at rest.
Secure configuration. Audits should ensure the proper configuration of security settings and flag default configurations.
Audits should factor into IT's overall application lifecycle management practices. The size of the user community increases the risk exposure, attack surface and data volume if attackers compromise mobile app security. IT administrators should plan their audit schedule accordingly and be open to altering the audit cadence if the need arises.
5 common mobile app security audit issues
There are some common issues that IT might encounter when performing a mobile app security audit. Admins should be ready to handle problems such as inadequate encryption and invalid user inputs.
1. Inadequate encryption
Weak encryption for data storage and transmission is a common mobile app security issue. It can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, especially with outdated or weak encryption algorithms.
To mitigate this issue, organizations must use strong encryption protocols. Effective protocols include Advanced Encryption Standard 256 for data at rest and Transport Layer Security for data in transit. In addition, IT must regularly update encryption libraries and frameworks to protect against known vulnerabilities.
2. Improper session handling
The app audit process can vary based on the organization's needs, number of devices, regulatory requirements and other factors.
Poor session management, including inadequate session timeouts and the reuse of session tokens, can expose an app to session hijacking attacks. Hackers can take over user sessions, leading to unauthorized access and data theft.
Admins can deal with this issue by implementing secure session management practices. Use short-lived session tokens and enforce automatic logout after a period of inactivity. Session identifiers should be secure and unique and regenerate upon login.
3. Invalid user inputs
Many mobile apps do not adequately validate user inputs. This makes them susceptible to various injection attacks, such as SQL injection (SQLi) and cross-site scripting (XSS). Lack of validation enables attackers to execute malicious code or queries that can compromise the app's database and user information.
To avoid this issue, validate all user inputs on both the client and server side. Use parameterized queries to prevent SQLi attacks and encode outputs to prevent XSS attacks. IT should also implement an allowlist approach for input validation.
4. Weak authentication mechanisms
Weak authentication methods, such as easily guessable passwords or single-factor authentication, can be a significant security risk. Attackers can bypass these weak authentication systems, gaining unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive data.
For secure authentication, use OAuth or similar protocols, enforce strong password policies and deploy multifactor authentication. Additionally, audit and update authentication mechanisms often to address new security threats.
5. Unsecured API endpoints
Mobile apps often use APIs to communicate with backend servers. These APIs can be vulnerable to cyberattacks if IT does not properly secure them. Common issues include inadequate authentication and weak protection against automated attacks.
Admins should secure API endpoints with appropriate authentication and authorization mechanisms. Require API gateways to manage and monitor API traffic, including rate limiting and input validation on all endpoints.
Mobile app security audits should ensure that strong password policies are in place.
How to conduct a mobile app security audit
The app audit process can vary based on the organization's needs, number of devices, regulatory requirements and other factors. In general, IT can perform the following broad steps to complete a mobile app security audit:
Define the scope of the audit.
Analyze the mobile app architecture.
Test the mobile app functionality.
Evaluate data protection.
Assess the risk level.
Implement improvements to mobile app security as part of ongoing app development work.
When conducting an audit or setting up a plan for future security assessments, it's important to consider the frameworks IT can use and the schedule that mobile app audits should occur on. Two crucial parts of any mobile app security audit are deciding on the audit methodology and planning audit frequency.
Determine an audit methodology
To create a thorough app audit plan, admins should look to the following industry-standard auditing frameworks:
The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Mobile Security Testing Guide isa comprehensive guide for mobile app security testing and reverse engineering.
NIST Special Publication 800-163's guidelines on vetting the security of mobile applications include recommendations for app security testing, vulnerability assessment and risk management.
Additionally, implement OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines to support app development and audit activities. This can help address injection attacks, insecure data storage and insufficient cryptography.
Determine audit frequency
Factors such as app complexity, data sensitivity and the development lifecycle determine how often app audits should occur. The following guidelines can help IT manage audit frequency:
A standard recommendation is to perform an audit annually. This ensures that the app remains secure against evolving threats and vulnerabilities.
Major app updates or version releases should trigger an audit to address the security effects of codebase updates, new features or architectural changes.
Cybersecurity incidents such as data breaches must trigger an audit to address the root causes, assess the effects and apply necessary fixes to prevent future occurrences.
Regulatory requirements mandate the frequency of security audits. For example, healthcare apps must adhere to HIPAA standards.
Continuous security monitoring should be in place to complement the audit framework. Admins can implement this with automated tools that scan for security flaws.
Will Kelly is a freelance writer and content strategist who has written about cloud, DevOps, AI and enterprise mobility.
