Security Issues In B2c Mobile Applications
It was only a few years ago when mobile enterprise applications were deployed keeping in mind the mobility needs of the enterprise workforce
. The mobile app revolution that took place in the years 2010 & 2011 brought about a change in scenario, with the end user being not only the employees but also the partners or customers of an enterprise. Mobile devices & apps are no longer considered the property of the enterprise alone; they are now circulating in uncontrolled environments. Business to Consumer mobile app spending, popularly referred to as B2C, is on the rise. However, there are several security threats that are posing challenge to this phenomenon. Let us take a look at some of these security issues as well as how to overcome them.
Key Security Threats to B2C Applications
1. Mobile Client Application Security Risk Malicious users can launch reverse engineering attacks to gain access to improper signed application & sensitive information. Sometimes, weak cryptography is implemented for storing critical data on the local data storage area of the B2C apps. This leads to making fraudulent transactions.
2. Middleware App Security Risk When web services such as SOAP, HTTP, and REST are used in middleware apps, adversaries often attempt interception of response or request messages. Since the network communication channels are usually insecure in this case, tampering of the interface or database takes place.
3. Mobile App Interface Risk When interfaces are insecure, it leads to message reply attacks & denial of several services. This is because of the fact that mobile apps are connected to database & backend servers. Improper data validation further causes cross site scripting attack and SQL injection.
4. Lose or Stealing of Mobile Devices Under any circumstances, if a mobile device using B2C applications is stolen or lost, an unauthorized user can easily access & misuse the data stored in the device.
Steps to Overcome Security Threats to B2C Applications
Listed below are the top suggestions to keep in mind in order to ensure the security of B2C mobile applications:
1. Encrypt all response & request messages
2. Make sure that middleware & firmware applications are controlled by proper security norms
3. Encrypt the data storage area of all local handheld mobile devices
4. Session management is important
5. Release only proper signed B2C mobile apps
6. Restrict access to integration services & all its configurations
7. Validation of trusted & non trusted inputs in B2C mobile apps is necessary. The former refers to the local data & server data storage systems and the latter refers to invalid user inputs like special characters.
8. Use only secure web services
9. Data wipe configurations must be controlled so as to prevent any unauthorized access to information
10. The authentication mechanism adopted for B2C mobile applications must be very strict
11. Pay special attention to client & server apps, all types of communication channels, the data storage area of the local mobile device being used, and the web services & interfaces of all middleware applications that are used in the B2C process.
Most importantly, a developer and an enterprise must remember that ensuring the security of a single component of a B2C app will not help in challenging the security risks. Every detail of the B2C mobile application must be examined for detecting the threats posed to security of the app.
by: Yancy Marry
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