Being a mobile app developer is exciting, but it’s a career path that requires constant attention to data privacy. Ongoing data breaches continually make people worried about where their information goes and what happens to it.
Some of them ponder whether it’s worth downloading apps at all if they could compromise privacy.
Having an awareness of these risks helps app developers tackle those challenges head-on and minimize them both during and after an application’s creation.
These are some of the most important ones to be aware of.
1. Vulnerabilities in Source Code
News of the data breach associated with the Uber app reminded people that even companies that invest heavily in their apps are not immune to security issues.
One of the reasons for this is the fact that a multitude of vulnerabilities can exist in the source code of an app, but many developers overlook them and instead choose to focus on securing their respective networks.
Encrypting an app’s source code is one way to limit infiltration. However, developers should also create agile code that remains secure even when used on various operating systems. Frequent source code scanning is another proactive measure to take.
2. Insufficient Security Training
Although app developers may have the most up-to-date knowledge building apps from scratch, security training is often lacking in their educations.
App developers should always work in tandem with security experts when developing and testing their creations to minimize the likelihood of issues occurring. Security training for developers can also help them build apps that are more secure than they’d be without that tailored knowledge. It’s impossible to plan for threats if developers do not have an initial awareness of them, and education could fill that gap.
3. Risks Associated With App Updates
Recent headlines about data breaches affecting millions of people have undoubtedly put individuals on alert and made them wonder if they’ll be victims of upcoming attacks.
A survey of customers in the retail sector found that 74 percent of them had concerns about the security of their information, and 34 percent didn’t like not knowing how companies would use the data.
App developers cannot merely assume that customers will eagerly download apps and not mind sharing their data. One of the best ways to put people’s minds at ease is to publish ultra-transparent content that lets people know which features app updates affect.
Privacy policies associated with companies can go into greater depth about why those businesses need the data people provide. Then, if individuals aren’t comfortable with how a new app feature works because it requires them to provide more data, they can decide not to download the update.
Writing content about updates in a straightforward language increases comprehension and makes people have an above-average willingness to read the details.
4. Threats in Third-Party Code
The most robust in-house testing still falls short if developers do not exercise due diligence with third-party code. It’s common for development professionals to use code from outside providers to enhance the capabilities of their apps or otherwise make them more appealing to users.
Performing research to see if a particular third-party entity has been the subject of a data breach or received scrutiny for insufficient security strategies can help developers feel more confident about the decision to work with a third-party company.
If fellow developers report problems with an SDK or say they have doubts about its security, that input could be useful in helping app creators come to informed decisions about whether it’s worthwhile to depend on that third-party material.
Also, it’s not enough to initially learn about a third-party company and then fail to follow up. Mitigating risks requires periodically ensuring that data security is still as adequate as it seemed when developers first began working with third-party organizations to enhance their apps.
Awareness Reduces Intimidation
The ever-present threat of data breaches and cybercriminals who attempt to orchestrate progressively advanced attacks undoubtedly makes some app developers feel a bit overwhelmed.
Because they produce content that captures user data, developers have a responsibility to protect that sensitive information by using all available resources. Explicitly addressing the challenges described above is an excellent starting point.