Security is and will always be a top priority for IT departments and their CIOs. The struggle for IT is that there are simply too many apps being deployed for CIOs to keep up. According to a prediction from technology research firm Gartner, by the end of 2017 the demand for mobile app development services will have increased at a rate of five times the speed at which an internal IT department can deliver.
Customer Pressure
When a client contacts a mobile app developer, they usually want the most bang for their buck. Unfortunately, this can mean that the developer is pushed for time and can’t test properly or has to skip some critical features — like properly implemented security.
65% of businesses indicate that the security of their apps can be weakened by customer pressure, and 77% state that rushing to release an app is the main reason for vulnerable code. Customers also may not understand how complicated it is to properly guard against issues such as
- application tampering,
- cryptography,
- data leakage,
- client side injections, and
- secure server side controls.
CIO Solutions
Keeping the above in mind, CIOs need to balance the needs of the customer with what has to be done in order to provide the best security possible. This means having a plan in place before work even starts, and remembering that a well-built app that isn’t particularly exciting is better than something brand-new, flashy, and unsecured. Ensuring that all levels of the business understand the complications of building a mobile app can also help to reduce pressure. Following are three considerations when building these apps.
Replicable Framework. Using an established mobile framework as a base helps to protect against breaches like session hijacks, SQL injections, and cross site scripting or request forgeries. Most applications don’t need to be custom built from the ground up, and using a framework ensures that the basic security details are already there.
MAM Solutions. A Mobile Application Management (MAM) solution helps with the increasing numbers of BYOD policies being implemented. With an MAM platform, the IT department can quickly deploy new apps, access and remove cached data if the customer loses the device, and control who can access sensitive data.
Base Level Encryption
Combining an existing framework with an MAM means that there is existing encryption being used at the base level. The features are already there and don’t need to be built into it again, meaning that the CIO can focus on the unique features that the customer needs.
Security is the most important aspect of a mobile application, but the increase in demand will become overwhelming if CIOs and their IT departments don’t take advantage of what’s already in place. Thinking ahead and learning to balance customer pressure with what is feasible will improve productivity and save money lost to data breaches.
For more information on technology security, contact Cloud Source today.
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