The operating systems along with mobile applications are more secure than their desktop counterparts. But they are also going to require regular security testing plans for robust security features. It is all the more important when we discuss the mobile application development process. There are multiple areas that require protection-sensitive information, and network connections. At this juncture OWASP mobile security testing makes its presence felt.
The security testing guide related to OWASP
Coming to OWASP is a comprehensive manual testing guide, that formulates guidelines for mobile app security. In fact, this turns out to be a standard which is followed by the architects, and developers, that helps them to create a secure software project. The developers are known to follow the strict modules when it comes to the requirements necessary for development, and the best practices for mobile penetration tests are to be followed in detail.
Taxonomy of mobile app
The term mobile app indicates, any type of program that is operational on a mobile device. Some of the specific types of mobile apps are as follows
- Native app- Such apps are native to the system for which is being developed. They are known to interact closely with the operating system of an app. What it means is that they are able to access the direct components of a device like a sensor or a camera. Even they are available with their own software development.
- Web app- Numerous mobile app webs are there which is operational on the device browser and it gives the feeling of a native app. They are not going to interact a lot with the device components, and in some ways tend to be sandboxed.
- Hybrid- it tends to be a mix and match of both the above apps. Though a portion of the app is operational on an embedded web browser. There is bound to be a naïve to an abstraction layer that has relevant access controls in place.
- A progressive web app- it gives a feeling of a regular web page, and it has the added benefit that the developers can work offline where they gain access to mobile hardware. They are known to combine different standards that is available on the web to provide a better experience.
- Black box testing- here the tester goes on to behave like a real attacker, and they go on to explore all possible combinations. It is going to rely on the use of cases for publicity discovering information. This goes by the name of zero knowledge testing
- White box testing- this module is the exact opposite of the above, here the tester is expected to conduct a series of sophisticated tests with a degree of knowledge
- Grey box testing- This is a form of testing that is a combination of both of them. A point to consider is that the tester is being provided with some form of information whereas the rest of the things tends to be hidden.
- Vulnerability analysis- The objective of the testers is to check out the vulnerable areas in an app. It is something that can be done automatically or at a manual level. Dynamic analysis tends to be sophisticated, as it is something that can be done during runtime. This helps the users to check out specific pointers like the vulnerability run time or the various types of loopholes that is associated with the same.
Quality of test coding
Since the developers are known to use various programming languages along with frameworks, the quality of the code is vital. There are multiple updates or versions that tend to emerge in the market, when you test the quality of the code it ensures that the security is intact from the word go. Some of the grey areas that tend to emerge are the SQL injections, buffer flows along with a host of other factors.
Tampering along with reverse engineering
To a certain extent attackers have gone on to become smarter day by day, so too mobile app testing has assumed a sophisticated module. Coming to tampering it is a process where you go on to alter the mobile application development or the behavior to detect certain breakpoints or security loopholes.
Have an eye on the future
The emerging form of technologies like AI and IoT is bound to enhance the scope of cyber-attackers. Due to the fact that a lot of businesses in modern times are connected by the internet, the scope is expected to be further enhanced. The process of automation indicates that new systems will interact with each other, and information is something that may be accessed on the move. These levels of connectivity or complexity could have an impact on the vulnerability levels.
Bots have been added to the mix indicating that the attacks will be sophisticated and intensive in nature. The worst part is that these attacks would be difficult to detect and control. Even the malware sites have been recently known to be diagnosed with SSL certificates. The users could be easily fooled into the fact that they are browsing something secure. In the name of personalization, the companies have been obtaining the personal data of the customers. It is going to be the case with mobile users who are on the go and transacting data regularly. The need of the hour is for the companies to ace up their security game to safeguard the interest of the customers. It is bound to provide a personalized experience to the users as phishing attacks are also on the rise.
The technology needs to keep pace with the emerging security issues. A machine learning mobile app security is necessary to keep in line with the times. It is of considerable help to monitor all the activities on a real-time basis as the enterprise data to be analyzed with a certain degree of precision accuracy and speed. Platforms like appsealing is going to guide you on how to take the process ahead.
