Think back to ten years ago. A phone was just a phone. A tablet was non-existent.
Then in 2008, the iPhone App Store opened up as a way to control the quality of apps, and the application economy was born. Since that time, mobile apps have turned into a billion dollar industry with millions of apps available for download across all platforms. The app economy encompasses everything from the development of the app to the sale of an app, to ad revenue generated by an app, to the hardware device in which an app is designed to run.
And because it’s still in its infancy, it’s ripe for opportunity.
Innovators create and deploy apps on an ever-increasing basis. And once they are released, the risk increases with it. When code leaves the data center in which it was created, black markets are waiting to redevelop it in hopes of capturing a piece of the pie. Once an app is released and available, the code is subject to tampering and reverse-engineering. If you look at the top apps in the marketplace, over 90 percent of them have hacked versions available through other companies as well.
Development is often where risk begins. But it in no way corners the market. Hackers are equal opportunity attackers, and will look for all kinds of way to make their mark. They look to:
- Software piracy
- Conduct fraud
- Steal source code
- Steal intellectual property
- Unlock or modify application functionality
- Distribute malware
And once they’ve opened up holes, your data is at risk every time you put an app to use. You, your customers, and your employees.
Protecting yourself from risk involves three things.
1. Understand the entire user experience. A seamless experience allows every party smooth transition, from management, to departments, to customers. That means security must always keep in mind how every level of user will use the app, where the risks lie, and the best way to keep them at bay.
2. Focus on security from the beginning. Choosing applications usually means looking at the functionality for the job at hand. Risk factors should also be calculated to ensure every program adequately protects the users.
3. Understand the threat landscape. Threats can attack in all kinds of ways. And they are increasing every day, thanks to both mobility and cloud computing. It’s not enough to know that threats exist; education is also important to understand what to do in attacks occur. If end users are aware of potential dangers, they can be the first step in helping keep your data safe from every angle possible.
