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Techniques That Ensure Secure Android Application Development

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Vinay Bobade

Android application development has exploded over the last decade. In its wake, a wide variety of applications have emerged that service all our needs, from entertainment to banking. These apps have access to all kinds of personal information ranging from purchase patterns to credit card details. Hence, the onus of securing this data lies with Android developers who must build secure apps to protect the users’ privacy.

 

Security is a cause of concern with the entire app publishing industry at large and Android application development is specifically at risk due to its popularity. Commanding a mammoth 83% of the market share, Android has a major responsibility towards securing user data from cyber-attacks and malicious hacks.

 

Here’s how you can improve the security infrastructure in Android application development:

 

Validate the User Fields

Every Android app employs the integration of user fields that require user input. Sign-in fields require information such as email addresses and related passwords, while e-commerce websites require user inputs in the form of residential addresses and credit card details to complete a purchase. As an Android app developer, it is crucial to your users’ security that you validate these fields regularly. 

 

Hackers can fire up SQL injections to trespass rudimentary security and tamper with users’ account data. Hacked accounts can on occasion amount to huge financial frauds and loss of savings for app users. Hence as a developer, you must make it a habit to always validate fields and further employ technologies such as DEP and ASLR to manage security concerns in existing apps.

 

Secure Your Android Apps with SSL and HTTPS

Most Android app developers are choosing Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is encrypted using Transfer Layer Security (TLS) for secure communication over the network. As compared to the precedent, that is, HTTP and HTTPS ensure an extra layer of security that is desired for Android apps. This ensures that the Android application does not divulge user’s private information through an automated screenshot since all communication happens over a secure server.  

 

The HokuApps mobile application development platform offers a robust and on-demand scalability infrastructure with sophisticated security features that build secure app environments that are safe from external attacks.

 

Plug Avenues of Data Leakage

Android application development is susceptible to app data leakage through many avenues. Since Android users have multiple apps downloaded on their phones, the latter may have access to phone data and neighboring app data that is stored on other connected devices for future access with or without authorization. This opens the app up to data leakage through external threats. Android app developers must undertake ‘Threat modeling’ in the development stage itself and test the app for data leakages via all devices. This prevents the data from being transferred and stored remotely without permission and hence, upholds data security.

 

Reduce App Dependence on Permissions

Some Android apps require additional permissions to access saved data on a user’s mobile phone. For example, some camera apps request access to existing photo files saved on the user’s device while some dialer apps require access to the user’s contact data. These permissions restrict the scope of functionality for the app and make it harder for users to trust them. 

 

Android application development should to do away with these permissions and give utmost importance to user’s private data. For example, while using apps in the Android Lollipop OS, the user can’t upload or delete data on their SD card through an app. These measures go a long way in enabling tamper-proof security on Android.

 

Encryption of App Data on the Mobile

Android mobile app development is most secure in unrooted devices. This ensures that app data is secure in its sandbox and is not at risk of breach from other device apps. However, in rooted devices, this is not the case. Other apps on the device or on other connected devices can access phone data remotely if it is saved in the plain text format. Hence, as an Android app developer, you must always opt for encryption of app data using AES.

 

As a developer, it is your primary duty to secure user data ranging from password authentication to financial information to miscellaneous forms of private information via data encryption. Hire Android app programmers from HokuApps to get the top-rated Android mobile app development services.

 

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Vinay Bobade
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