How to Develop Application Security Strategies?

The cyber risks of mobile applications are increasing day by day.

These risks can allow unauthorized access or malicious activity on applications, just as a thief can intrude on electronic devices. These activities take place beyond the firewall, at the application layer, and leave applications vulnerable.

Application security should be integrated early in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and treated as a continuous improvement process. Only in this way can potential vulnerabilities be proactively identified and remediated through penetration testing and code reviews.

First, the security foundations must be solid.

Basic Security Concepts

The basic concepts that make up the security framework when developing mobile applications are authentication, authorization, data encryption, session management and input validation. These concepts affect every layer of the application and provide a holistic security architecture. Securing user credentials, protecting the communication between the server and the client, and validating the data received as input increases the resilience of the application against malware and attacks. In addition, each security update should be thoroughly analyzed in line with standards such as OWASP.

Understanding Layers of Security

In mobile application security, system layers are based on an overarching protection logic: Each layer supports the other.

Even the strongest fortress can fall through a single weak point; layers of security are vital to prevent this weakness.

The security model should extend from network security to the application layer, and from there to the storage and presentation layers. Each plays a critical role and provides a line of defense against potential vulnerabilities.

The final layer, the user interface, is also an important link in the security chain. User input must be properly managed and validated, and every interaction must be carefully reviewed. Security design should be strategically planned to comprehensively protect each of the application layers.

Identifying Threat Models

Threat modeling for mobile applications requires a systematic analysis of vulnerabilities and risks. In this process, possible attack vectors and scenarios are identified and evaluated.

In threat modeling, it is essential to examine the functionality of the application in detail and identify potential attack surfaces. Dynamics such as user data entry, network traffic, security of stored data and third-party services should be analyzed in relation to each threat scenario. Critical operations, such as the storage and transfer of sensitive information, should be treated with particular care.

The recommended strategy is to evaluate each factor that may affect security individually and holistically. This analysis should focus on issues such as user roles, authorization mechanisms and data access. All potential threat vectors should be ranked according to the architecture and business models of the application.

Finally, threat modeling is not a one-off activity; it should be treated as a continuous and iterative process. It should be updated at regular intervals, commensurate with the evolution of the application and new threat types in the market, and should be a cornerstone of an effective security management process. This forms the basis of proactive security approaches and is the most effective way to remain vigilant against the dynamic threat landscape. Strengthening the application’s defenses against cyber attacks is a fundamental part of the threat modeling process.

Secure Coding Principles

Code quality is the foundation of application security.Secure Coding Principles

Secure coding principles, which are of critical importance in development processes, should be considered as a priority at every stage of the software. Clean, simple and understandable code structure minimizes the possibility of software developers making mistakes and facilitates the early detection of security vulnerabilities. Moreover, well-documented code increases the efficiency of security experts in their analysis processes.

Build layers of defense against vulnerabilities that surface in the code.

When developing a mobile application, a careful approach to security-sensitive issues – for example, user input, data storage or communication – is essential. The application must be resilient to unexpected inputs and attack scenarios, and it is important to integrate multiple layers of defense to ensure this.

Comply with constantly updated security standards.

While safety best practices are constantly evolving, compliance with existing safety standards and guidelines increases the resilience of applications. In particular, security recommendations and guidelines set by authorities such as OWASP are essential resources that should be referenced in development processes. Therefore, it is an integral part of this process for developers to keep abreast of security developments and constantly review their code. For tips on how to improve your coding skills from a cybersecurity perspective, check out our article on coding tips and resources for cybersecurity students.

Safety Controls and Tools

Effective implementation of security controls for mobile applications is critical to protect against security vulnerabilities. Static and dynamic analysis tools represent the first steps in improving the security of the application by performing code review processes in a systematic and automated way. Furthermore, security tests, such as pentest tools and bug reporting systems, test the app’s resilience to various types of attacks. These give you the chance to identify vulnerabilities in your mobile apps and respond to them as quickly as possible. However, it should be remembered that the selection and configuration of tools should be done carefully in line with the organization’s security policies and the needs of the application. In the case of web applications, the selection and configuration of security controls and tools is of utmost importance. For more information on security controls and tools that can be used, check out our article on the best cybersecurity tools.

Use of Static and Dynamic Analysis

Static and dynamic analysis, which is one of the important steps to ensure security in the mobile application development process, allows the software to be examined at both code and runtime levels. These analyses identify security vulnerabilities during the development and testing phases of applications, allowing measures to be taken at an early stage.

Static analysis tools automate the analysis of source code and can identify vulnerabilities without the need to compile the code. This method enables access control bugs and vulnerabilities to be detected quickly.

Dynamic analysis detects vulnerabilities in real time by monitoring the application’s behavior at runtime. This approach can simulate the complexity of the runtime environment and user interactions.

An effective security strategy should encompass both static and dynamic analysis. In fact, dynamic analysis can reveal runtime gaps and logic errors that static analysis misses.

For a stable and reliable security posture, it is essential that these analysis methods are carried out periodically and integrated into CI/CD processes. Continuous integration and continuous delivery accelerates safety processes and minimizes risks.

As a consequence, the harmonized use of static and dynamic analysis techniques is vital for a comprehensive security analysis. These practices help us to identify potential vulnerabilities early and ensure effective risk management.

Vulnerability Scanning Methods

Vulnerability scanning processes should be planned systematically and gradually. In addition to static and dynamic analysis, manual reviews are also important. This distributed approach enables a holistic examination of the system, thus addressing potential vulnerabilities from a holistic perspective.

Vulnerability scans should be performed at regular intervals using automated tools. This allows for continuous security verification and is a critical element for system security.

In addition, multi-layered firewalls specially developed for application security, isolation techniques such as sandboxing, and the application of up-to-date security patches strengthen the system’s defense mechanisms. Vulnerability scanning guides the security strategy by identifying the system’s vulnerabilities and provides the opportunity for continuous improvement.

Adopting different vulnerability scanning techniques in the pre-release and post-release phases of applications plays an important role in securing the application throughout its lifecycle. There are a number of stages and toolkits for this, including penetration tests, code reviews, automated scans and regular security audits. In a highly dynamic cyber threat environment, keeping security scans up-to-date and strictly adhering to the ‘depth of defense’ principle are critical factors for success in this area.

Protecting User Data

In today’s world where mobile applications are used extensively, user data protection can be successfully realized through awareness and technical measures. Legal regulations such as the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) have introduced certain standards for protecting user data. During the development phase of applications, strong encryption algorithms should be implemented, network traffic should be encrypted with protocols such as SSL/TLS, and data retention policies should be established. For more detailed information on data encryption and protection techniques, see our article on what is information security. Operations on user data should be limited to authorized operations and controlled by mechanisms such as Access Control Lists (ACLs) and role-based access controls. This is imperative to protect both the integrity and confidentiality of the data. In addition, security scans and vulnerability analyses should be conducted regularly to identify cross-platform vulnerabilities. To enhance the security of user data and web services, strong data encryption algorithms and access control mechanisms should be effectively implemented.

Data Encryption Standards

Mobile applications play a privileged role in protecting user data. Secure data transfer and storage processes form the basis of application security.

1. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard): The most widely used encryption standard and designed to protect critical government information.
2. RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman): An asymmetric encryption system, especially preferred for digital signatures and data security.
3. Triple DES (Data Encryption Standard): A strengthened version of the older DES; still used in areas such as banking systems.
4. ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography): Provides a high level of security with smaller key sizes and is suitable for mobile devices.
5. TLS/SSL (Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer): Used for secure data transfer over a network and is an integrity encryption protocol.
   Well-designed and regularly updated encryption protocols make applications less vulnerable to vulnerabilities.

Proper implementation of encryption standards not only provides a layer of protection beyond firewalls, but also increases user confidence.

Access Control Mechanisms

Effective access control mechanisms play a critical role in ensuring mobile application security by limiting the authorization of users. Authentication and authorization processes are the cornerstones of security and various mechanisms are required to prevent security breaches.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a standard approach for defining user-specific authorizations. This minimizes unnecessary access.

User-specific session management enables monitoring and auditing of user activities in applications. This makes it possible to set security parameters specific to each user’s session.

Access control lists (ACLs) are used to control access to specific resources and specify in detail what users can access. These controls are vital in managing who has access to each resource in the application.

Identity federation mechanisms such as federation, Single Sign-On (SSO) and OAuth enable users to securely log into multiple applications or services with a single identity. This improves the user experience and simplifies security management.

Dynamic access control can change access rights based on user behavior and risk assessments. This keeps the security strategy flexible, making it possible to quickly adapt to the changing threat landscape. Effective access control significantly improves mobile app security by blocking unauthorized calls.

Continuous Safety Approach

The cornerstone of mobile app security is a proactive approach and continuous implementation of security policies. This is essential to adapt to the dynamic nature of the threat landscape.

The continuous security approach emphasizes regular threat modeling, risk assessment and security auditing throughout the security lifecycle. This will increase the application’s resilience to emerging threats and minimize security vulnerabilities.

In the cybersecurity ecosystem, the principles of “defense in depth” and “zero trust” are considered integral parts of a continuous security approach. Zero trust is the foundation of modern security strategies and requires verification of every access attempt. You can learn more about this approach in our related course on CyberSkillsHub. These principles emphasize the importance of each individual security layer and the importance of continuity. During the deployment phase of the application, security controls and tools should be integrated to minimize risks.

Updating Security Policies

Effective management of mobile application security policies plays a critical role in protecting applications against a dynamic threat environment. Periodic review, regular maintenance and updating of security policies are mandatory in this context.

Security policies must evolve in line with the evolution of threats and technologies. Dynamism is the cornerstone of these policies.

Updating regulations and standards requires revising security policies. For example, regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA increase sensitivities to this.

As organizational security requirements change, compliance and policy adjustments must be executed on the fly. This ensures that applications comply with both legal and operational requirements.

Effective communication between development and operations teams is the lifeblood of keeping security policies up to date. In this context, adopting a DevSecOpsculture provides the necessary integration for continuous improvement.

Finally, a security policy update should be complemented by training and informing all stakeholders. This supports the effective implementation of the policy and the embedding of security awareness in the organization.

Penetration Testing and Security Assessment

Penetration testing is vital for detecting and assessing potential vulnerabilities of mobile applications. This challenging but necessary process measures the resilience of the application by simulating real scenarios.

• Determining Acceptance Criteria: Critical acceptance criteria should be determined to understand whether the test is successful or not.
• Using White Hat Hackers: Test your app’s firewalls through ethical hackers.
• Vulnerability Scanning: Comprehensively analyze your security posture by scanning every layer of the application for potential vulnerabilities.
• Implementing Manual Checks: Perform comprehensive manual checks to find vulnerabilities that cannot be detected with automated tools.
• Reporting and Analysis: Ensure prioritization of vulnerabilities by reporting penetration test results in detail.

Risk analysis and management should accompany these processes, and fast and effective solution strategies should be developed for identified vulnerabilities.

An action plan is then drawn up to remediate the vulnerabilities, and effective implementation of this plan is essential to ensure the continued security of the mobile app.

Frequently Asked Questions on Application Security