Are your mobile apps secure? Here’s what you need to know

WITH mobile usage increasing exponentially every year, mobile apps have become ever more integral to businesses and people. Look no further than the growth of the Philippines’ digital economy for evidence of this, which Access Partnership forecasts will be worth $28 billion by mid-decade.

Meanwhile, the Appdome Filipino Consumers Expectations of Mobile App Security survey finds that on average, people living in the Philippines use seven mobile apps per day, which is on par with global usage levels. In fact, the same survey finds that more than half of Filipino consumers prefer using mobile apps over web channels.

Significantly, eWallets, social media, and mobile games were the top three ranked by usage among Filipinos. It should come as little surprise to developers then, that security is a major concern for Filipino consumers. For the businesses that deliver these apps, it underscores the point that protecting their customers should not be an afterthought.

CURRENT STATE OF PLAY
As the tactics of cybercriminals evolve, companies in the Philippines have had to play catch up to mitigate risks.

According to Kroll, 75% of Philippine organizations experienced a cyber incident last year. In comparison, the average from across Asia Pacific was 59%. The same report also found that local organizations were particularly concerned about data loss, with 70% citing it as their leading worry. Meanwhile, 60% were worried about the business disruption as a result of a cyberattack, and 29% felt regulatory fines from failing to keep out cyber attackers would have dire consequences for the business.

Unfortunately, cyber attackers are showing little signs of letting up. March this year alone saw 81 cyber security incidents logged by the National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT).

Ensuring app security also directly links to brand trust and customer loyalty. For instance, Appdome’s survey of Filipino consumers shows that businesses that want to differentiate in a crowded field must prioritize app security. Of those surveyed, 65.5% ranked “hacking the mobile apps I use” as their top concern.

It is revealing that this figure is 30.3% higher than the global baseline of just over 50%, showing that Filipino consumers take app security and protection very seriously but that companies are, potentially, falling short of meeting this need.

Furthermore, the same report revealed that mobile fraud was a major worry for 42.5% of Filipino consumers. Meanwhile, malware was cited as the joint third-highest concern at 29%, revealing that embedding mobile apps with malware prevention should be a priority for local businesses.

Worryingly, the same number of respondents also expressed concerns about developer indifference to security. This fear also ranked above all other threats in the spectrum, including threats from data breaches, trojans, spying and so on. For businesses, this is a huge opportunity to distinguish themselves by equipping developers with the tools to tell mobile users that they are protected from threat actors on their apps.

These figures should send a clear signal to brands about the importance of embedding their app offerings with a security model that goes above and beyond basic hardening and obfuscation. Clearly, failure to do so, will see more agile competitors swoop in and win over customers.

PIVOTING TOWARDS MOBILE DEVSECOPS
For businesses, their ability to compete in the digital-first era rests on how quickly they can innovate without compromising security. Today, it is a “must-have” to be able to count upon a comprehensive, fast and simplified approach to DevSecOps. Ultimately, embracing mobile DevSecOps hinges on an organization-wide adherence to new, rapid-release processes that combine different disciplines, development, security, and operations, into one continuous workflow.

Here is where a unified cyber defense automation platform in the DevOps pipeline enables businesses to build, test, release and monitor all mobile apps with ease. As a result, they can address complexity and be proactive in stopping threats like fraud.

When picking a platform to integrate into the CI/CD pipeline, it is crucial to consider capabilities like automation and artificial intelligence. Businesses should also look for solutions that champion no-code, as this allows them to embed security protocols, at any time in the development process, via a few simple clicks and without the need for writing tedious code or a software development kit.

Through enhanced agility, efficiency and consistency in your mobile DevSecOps, organizations can protect themselves and their customers better. Armed with the ability to accelerate the delivery of mobile app security and defenses, businesses will be well placed to deliver better functioning apps with less work, zero complexity, and better user experiences across the board.

 

Jan Sysmans, mobile app security evangelist at Appdome.

Are your mobile apps secure? Here’s what you need to know
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