5 solutions to ensure the security of apps and its users

How to ensure the security of apps and its users? 5 solutions you need to know.

Mobile and web applications have actually become a must-have in most industries. We wrote about a few of them in one of our articles: https://softwarebay.io/blog/7-industries-which-should-be-supported-by-applications. It can’t be disagreed, that they greatly facilitate everyday business activities, contact with customers, or the fact of reaching them. But when creating such solutions, you need to be aware not only of their benefits, but also of the risks associated with them.

Having an application in your organization, you need to ensure your safety, your employees' safety, and depending on the type of business you run - also your clients. Which industries carry the greatest risk?

• banking and financial technologies,
• social media and messaging apps,
• security systems,
• online stores.

Each of them has one thing in common. They collect or access sensitive data. And their leakage can have huge consequences - both in terms of losses for your clients and financial penalty for you.

What basic application security measures can you use when building your application ?

1. Multi factor authentication

Recently, it can be noticed that more and more application developers decide to introduce this solution or supplement their product with it. What exactly is it? It is a solution well known to many of us, in which we have to confirm our login in a few steps.

For example, when you log in to your e-mail box with a password, and the data provided in this step is correct, a special token is sent to the phone number provided during registration, which you must enter in the next step of logging in. In addition, these steps are often supplemented with geolocation data, or remembering the so-called trusted devices.

Of course, other solutions, such as biometrics or personal items, discussed later in the article, can also be used as additional components.

2. Biometric verification

The type of application security based on the examination of biometric data , such as the image of the face, fingerprints or the image of the iris of the eye. Biometric technology is one of the most effective app security measures to date. These data are unique for everyone and practically impossible to forge, as opposed to, for example, verification with passwords.

According to a study conducted by Visa , as many as 73% of Poles would like to be able to confirm payments with face verification, and 92% - choose more than one payment confirmation option using biometrics .

An example of the use of such solutions is the polish startup - PayEye. It made a breakthrough in non-cash payments, leaving behind solutions such as payment cards, blik or telephone payments. The only thing you need for payment thanks to their solution is ... the iris of the eye and a special terminal!

3. Determining the number of incorrect logins

Have you ever forgotten your card pin? If so, you must have remembered that moment. This is due to the determination of the number of possible invalid logins. This function allows you to automatically block further login attempts as a result of incorrectly entered data several times.

In this way, it is possible to prevent password guessing attempts, for example by using bots to check possible configurations. This is the first, not very complicated stage. If access is blocked, depending on the chosen solution, the possibility of trying again can be regained, for example after a certain period of time or after confirming one's identity, which is often the case, for example, in the case of banks.

4. Monitoring and detection of anomalies and unwanted actions.

While the aforementioned app security measures can be implemented in specific activities, anomalies monitoring can be performed on the entire product. It is conducted thanks to specially installed tools or specialists who regularly monitor the activities taking place on the website or in the application , thanks to which it is possible to react quickly.

Unfortunately, only monitoring an app can’t protect the application from all attacks. To be effective, it should be supplemented with other, automatic solutions that can react faster than humans. An example may be, for example, the determination of the number of wrong logins mentioned in the above point, or multi factor authentication .

5. Adding identity documents

In some cases, such as car sharing, it is necessary to provide documents that prove certain rights. In others - only the function of confirming the user's identity.

It has 2 roles. The first one has been mentioned above, while the second is the fact that the person who has to provide documents at registration no longer feels anonymous and goes unpunished if unlawful actions. However, in order to use this method of securing your application against undesirable activities, we must have the appropriate permissions and systems for storing transmitted data, strongly supported by other application security measures .