What is Mobile Application Security? Best Practices to Protect Your Apps (2025)

Mobile application security is a crucial factor in app development in today's tech-driven world. Around 90% of internet users around the world go online using a mobile device, giving hackers more chances to attack. According to leading mobile security statistics in 2024, up to 70% of online fraud is accomplished through mobile platforms. That’s why app developers need to use strong security methods like data encryption, secure login, and proper data storage. 

Explore the article below to learn more about what mobile application security is, why it matters, and the best security practices to protect your mobile apps in 2025.

What is Mobile Application Security?

Mobile application security is the process of protecting apps from risks like hacking, data theft, and unauthorized access. These problems can happen on any platform, such as iPhone, Android, or others. As mobile apps become more common, it is very important to keep personal data safe and make sure apps run well.

Mobile application protection is an essential aspect of mobile application security, focusing on preventing unauthorized access, helping secure data storage, and safeguarding sensitive information from malicious attacks.

Why Cyber Security Matters in Mobile Apps

Cybersecurity is paramount for mobile applications due to the sensitive nature of the data they often handle and the potential consequences of security breaches. Here are compelling reasons why cybersecurity is crucial for mobile apps:

• Protection of sensitive user data: Mobile apps often collect and store personal information, login passwords, and other important data. When an app is hacked, that data can be exposed. As a result, users may face risks like identity theft and privacy violations, which can reduce their trust and seriously harm a company’s reputation.
• Preventing financial losses: For businesses, security gaps can lead to direct financial damage. Hackers can steal credit card or debit card details through fake transactions. If they take control of a banking app, they might even access accounts and make payments without permission.
• Maintaining brand reputation and user trust: People today care a lot about security. They usually avoid using or recommending apps that have had data leaks. Example: In 2013 and 2014, Yahoo was hacked, exposing information from over 3 billion user accounts, including names, emails, phone numbers, birthdates, and passwords. This breach shocked users and severely damaged trust in Yahoo's services. Therefore, strong security shows that the business is serious about protecting users and their data, which helps build trust in the brand.
• Protecting intellectual property: Poor mobile app security can make it easy for hackers to steal things like copyrights and patents. For example, someone might copy the source code of an app and create a fake version. That fake app could trick users into downloading it and spread malware.
• Guaranteeing smooth business operations: Cyberattacks can stop an app from working properly, which affects services and causes business disruptions. By following mobile app security standards, strong security measures can reduce risks and help the app meet industry best practices.

4 Common Security Threats in Mobile Applications

The threat landscape for mobile applications is constantly evolving. Understanding common security threats is the first step in building resilient apps.

1. Data Breaches and Leakage

Data breaches occur when sensitive information stored or processed by a mobile application is accessed or disclosed without authorization. This can happen through various means, including exploiting vulnerabilities in the app, insecure data transmission, or gaining unauthorized access to the device or server.

Types of data targeted:

• Personal Identifiable Information (PII): Names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, etc.
• Financial Data: Credit card numbers, bank account details, transaction history, payment credentials.
• Authentication Credentials: Usernames, passwords, security tokens, biometric data.
• Health Records: Medical history, diagnoses, treatment information, insurance details.
• Location Data: GPS coordinates, location history.
• Communication Data: Messages, emails, call logs.

Examples of data breaches:

In January 2023, Mailchimp and its partners were targeted by cybercriminals and suffered several attacks. The attackers successfully executed a phishing attack, causing at least one Mailchimp employee to reveal their login credentials (company data). This data breach resulted in the compromise of at least 133 Mailchimp user accounts. Some of the affected accounts belonged to businesses such as WooCommerce, Statista, Yuga Labs, Solana Foundation, and FanDuel.

2. Insecure Data Storage

Insecure data storage is storing sensitive information on a device without proper protection. It can leave data vulnerable to unauthorized access if the device is lost, stolen, or compromised.

Risks of storing sensitive data locally on devices:

• Physical Access: If a device is lost or stolen, anyone with physical access can potentially retrieve sensitive data stored on it.
• Malware and Spyware: Malicious apps can target locally stored data, bypassing application-level security measures.
• Device Vulnerabilities: Operating system or hardware vulnerabilities can be exploited to gain access to the device's file system.
• Inadequate Encryption: If data is not properly encrypted, it can be easily read even if unauthorized access is gained.
• Debugging and Logging: Leaving sensitive data in debug logs or temporary files can inadvertently expose it.

Best practices for secure storage solutions:

• Avoid Storing Sensitive Data Locally: Whenever possible, minimize the amount of sensitive data stored directly on the mobile device.
• Implement Strong Encryption: Encrypt all sensitive data stored locally using robust encryption algorithms. Utilize platform-specific encryption APIs and maintain proper key management.
• Secure Key Management: Store encryption keys in a secure way. It's best to use hardware-backed keystores or secure enclaves that are provided by the operating system.
• Utilize Secure Storage Containers: Employ secure containers or vaults provided by the OS or trusted third-party libraries to isolate and protect sensitive data.
• Regularly Audit Storage Mechanisms: Review and audit how data is stored locally to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

3. Unsafe Third-Party APIs

Third-party APIs allow mobile apps to connect with other services, improving their functionality. However, they can also pose security risks as they provide access to sensitive data, making them attractive targets for hackers.

To protect your app and user data, it's crucial to verify that any third-party APIs you use are secure. This involves checking that the APIs have strong authentication and encryption and meet high-security standards to reduce potential vulnerabilities.

4. Weak Encryption

Without proper encryption, the data in your app can be accessed and exploited by malicious actors. Even if attackers access the data, encryption keeps it unreadable without the decryption key.

To protect mobile app security and minimize threats, it is recommended to use strong encryption algorithms like AES, security protocols like HTTPS and TLS, and stay updated with the latest security standards.

Understanding how to secure an app through proper key management and access controls is essential to keep encrypted data safe. Regular security testing and assessments verify that encryption measures are robust and effective in protecting against evolving threats.

10 Steps to Build Mobile App Security

Building security into the mobile app development lifecycle from the outset is crucial. Here are ten essential steps to strengthen the security of your mobile applications:

1. Use Secure Authentication

Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of protection for user accounts. MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors, such as entering a password and a one-time code sent to their mobile device.

2. Encrypt Sensitive Data

Use strong encryption algorithms to secure sensitive information between the mobile app and servers via HTTPS, as well as data stored on the device.

3. Secure Data Storage

Apply best practices to protect sensitive data stored on the device. Use strong encryption and safe storage methods to improve security.

4. Protect the Code

Protecting the application's code from reverse engineering and tampering is essential. It helps prevent attackers from understanding its logic, identifying vulnerabilities, and potentially modifying it for malicious purposes. Techniques include code obfuscation, anti-tampering measures, and root/jailbreak detection.

5. Implement Secure APIs

Mobile apps often rely on APIs to communicate with backend servers. API security is implemented through authentication, authorization, protection against injection attacks, and encryption of data.

6. Conduct Regular Security and Penetration Testing

Experts should regularly assess security and run penetration tests to find vulnerabilities in the app. The tests simulate real-world attacks to uncover weaknesses in the app's security controls.

7. Monitor and Respond to Threats

Implement robust monitoring systems to detect suspicious activity and potential security incidents. Have a well-defined incident response plan in place to address security breaches effectively and minimize their impact.

8. Secure Third-Party Integrations

Mobile apps often integrate with third-party libraries, SDKs, and services. You regularly check and update these parts, because problems in third-party tools can put your app at risk

9. Use App Shielding

App shielding technology helps protect the app from attacks or tampering by using various techniques that make the code harder to read and modify. These techniques may include code obfuscation, anti-debugging, and anti-tampering measures.

10. Educate Users on Security Best Practices

While technical security measures are crucial, user awareness also plays a significant role. Educate users on best practices such as using strong, unique passwords, being cautious of phishing attempts, and keeping their devices and apps updated.

What's Next for Mobile Application Security?

The landscape of mobile application security is continuously evolving, driven by advancements in technology and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. Here are some key trends shaping the future of mobile security:  

Mobile Security Trends

• AI and machine learning in mobile security are increasingly being used to analyze app behavior, detect anomalies, and predict potential threats in real-time. These developments help identify sophisticated attacks that traditional security measures may overlook.
• Behavioral analytics focuses on understanding normal user behavior and identifying deviations that could indicate malicious activity or compromised accounts. 
• Biometric Authentication: Fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and other biometric methods

Preparing for Future Security Challenges:

• Staying updated on the latest security threats, applying secure coding principles, and designing apps with security in mind from the outset.
• Continuous monitoring of apps during production is crucial for detecting and responding to new vulnerabilities and attacks. 

Wrapping Up

In the world of mobile application security, security is not an afterthought but a fundamental requirement. By understanding the threats and implementing robust security practices, businesses can protect their users, data, and reputation.

Golden Owl Solutions is a leading IT outsourcing company offering mobile development services and cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. We assist businesses in building secure mobile applications, integrating security into every stage of development, while also providing tailored solutions to protect your apps and data.

Contact us today to make sure your mobile app is secure and future-proof!

FAQs

Q1. What are the security vulnerabilities that mobile apps can be attacked through?

Mobile apps can be attacked through security vulnerabilities such as flaws in the source code, insecure data storage, unsecured APIs, or lack of encryption during data transmission. These vulnerabilities can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Q2. What are the consequences of a data breach in a mobile app?

A data breach can lead to identity theft, financial losses, legal liabilities, and a damaged reputation. It can erode user trust and lead to regulatory penalties, depending on the nature of the breach.

Q3. Why is API security critical for mobile apps?

APIs connect mobile apps to servers and third-party services. Securing APIs is crucial to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and vulnerabilities like injection attacks or man-in-the-middle attacks.

Q4. What is the role of encryption in mobile app security?

Encryption protects sensitive data by converting it into unreadable text. This makes sure that even if an attacker intercepts the data, they cannot access it without the proper decryption key, securing both data at rest and in transit.