Make your mobile app GDPR compliant with app shielding

Rooting or jailbreaking a device opens the door for malicious actors to access the application code, modify it, inject malware, or repackage the app. To protect your app from this, you should have robust root/jailbreak detection.

Strandhogg is an example of a serious Android vulnerability which can exploit both rooted and unrooted devices. Read more here.

If an attacker gains access to your app code, they can modify it (for example by adding malware), repackage the app and spread it to trick users into downloading the illegitimate app in place of your original app. You should therefore take steps to protect your app code so that it cannot be repackaged. Another reason why you should protect your app code is to prevent reverse engineering to lift existing security controls.

Once Promon SHIELD™ security controls are implemented, hackers cannot remove them, even if the app is repackaged.

Keyloggers and screen readers are types of spyware that can be injected into an app. They are used to capture input from the user, typically PII such as banking details and passwords.

Prevent scraping of data on the client device by hardening your app code – this protects your users’ credentials and blocks malware techniques designed to spy on user input.

Code obfuscation is a way of modifying an app’s code to make it difficult for attackers to read and understand, should they gain access to it. The method conceals the logic and purpose of your app’s code, while keeping its functionality.

This makes it harder for attackers to perform reverse engineering, analyze the code, and retrieve sensitive information.

When using SSL technology, data is encrypted through the operating systems. Relying on this leaves the door open for attackers to hook these functions in the operating system and get access to user data.

Employ certificate pinning to ensure that your deployed app instances are talking to a valid server at all times.

Securing sensitive app data is increasingly important when the app is released in commercial app stores. Storing sensitive app data within the app without proper protection can have huge consequences, and threat actors can reverse engineer the code and steal information.

When your app carries PII, you should go beyond basic security and add a white-box-backed software safe to protect sensitive information within the app.