Five reasons to add security technologies to your mobile app

It is important for mobile applications that work with confidential user information to run in a trusted environment. This is not only about bank clients – attackers may be interested not only in money directly, but also in loyalty program points, discount cards, and cryptocurrency wallets.

The creators of such applications most often cannot be sure of the security of the user’s device and never know how prepared they are for possible cyber threats. There is no hope that your client will have a mobile security solution installed, so it makes sense to take matters into your own hands and equip your own development with additional technologies that can protect the user. Here are five main reasons to do this.

Malicious software

First of all, we are talking about malicious software. It is not known from what sources the user installs applications on his phone or tablet. Yes, even if he uses exclusively the official application store, this does not guarantee the absence of infection .

In recent years, cybercriminals have become especially inventive – modern spyware has acquired many advanced features. They can intercept application notifications, intercept SMS messages, gain access to two-factor authentication codes for Google Authenticator and similar programs, broadcast everything that happens on the screen to attackers in real time, intercept PIN codes and screen lock patterns.

Malicious programs that can display their windows over the windows of other applications deserve special attention. For example, they can copy the interface of your solution and slip the user with fake credentials to steal passwords and logins.

Unknown Wi-Fi networks

You cannot know which networks the user of your application is connecting to. Now almost every cafe and even a vehicle has its own Wi-Fi network, which is available to anyone. If an attacker is on the same network as your user, he can try to intercept the communication between your application and the server and gain access to the client’s account. Moreover, sometimes attackers deliberately leave their own wireless networks open in the hope that the user will be tempted by the free Internet.

Remote access tools

There is a whole class of programs that allow an attacker to take full control of a user’s device – Remote Access Tools (RAT). This is not necessarily malware (although there are some). Often, the user is tricked into installing a legitimate application on the phone that provides criminals with remote access to the device. As a result, attackers can change security settings, read any information, and even use any application. Including yours.

Browser vulnerabilities

Often, a mobile application is a simple web browser element with additional functionality (and devoid of unnecessary elements). And vulnerabilities in browser engines are found with enviable regularity. As a result, mobile application developers are forced to periodically update their solutions, but this is not always possible to do so quickly. As a result, attackers can try to attack the user through browser vulnerabilities in your application – organize the same fake window injections or redirect to an outside address.

Phishing

Cybercriminals still frequently use phishing, sending links to malicious sites via email, various communicator programs, or even SMS. Yes, in theory, attackers could try to spoof any company’s website. But if they target the users of your application and mimic the site or messages from your company, then from a reputation point of view, it will still not look very good.

Why user protection is in the developer’s interest and how to ensure it

Formally, as a result of all these threats, not the company itself will suffer, but the user. But if you dig deeper, you can understand that in the end, the application operator will also incur losses. After all, the more cyber incidents, the greater the load on the support service. In especially serious cases, the case can go to court, and here, even if you are not guilty of what happened, you will have to spend serious funds on technical expertise and the services of lawyers. In addition, even if you prove your case, you, with a high degree of probability, will lose the client. Well, in this age of social networks, even one incident can turn into a hype and serious damage to reputation. Therefore, it makes sense to play it safe and ensure the safety of your customers in advance.

To do this, our arsenal includes the Kaspersky Mobile Security SDK solution , which allows you to add security features to any mobile application. Moreover, this is not only an anti-virus engine, but also technologies with access to cloud services of Kaspersky Lab. Thanks to this access, they are able to quickly receive the latest information about the reputation of files, web pages and public Wi-Fi networks. You can learn more about the Kaspersky Mobile Security SDK on the solution page .