We live in the mobile era, when almost everything can be done from our smartphones. Thanks to the millions of apps available, we can now do anything we want. We can use mobile apps on our smartphones to do everything from managing financial information while on the go to keeping track of your schedule (calendar). As developers, we must adhere to the strictest security standards when creating these apps because they have access to so much confidential information. This ensures that no one without permission can access the data.
There are more than one billion active iOS devices that use iOS apps on a daily basis. In this section, we have compiled a list of the various security practices that an iOS developer ought to always keep in mind when creating apps.
Guidelines For Creating A Safe iOS Apps
Protected Code
One of the most important aspects of creating a secure iOS apps is writing safe code. Verify that there are no flaws in the code you produce that could be used by hackers. Getting rid of hard-coded values, encrypting data, using secure communication protocols, and utilising reliable libraries and frameworks are all part of this.
Utilise protocols for secure communication
When transmitting data over the network, use secure communication protocols like HTTPS rather than HTTP. As data is transferred, HTTPS encrypts it, making it impossible for intruders to read or intercept it. In addition, to make certain that no man-in-the-middle attackers are interfering with the communication, you should always validate the server certificate.
Two-factor authentication should be used
Your ios development services may benefit from an additional level of security if it incorporates two-factor authentication. It complicates attackers’ access to user accounts by adding an extra step to the login process. A second factor, such as a fingerprint, facial ID, or a one-time code sent to the user’s registered email address or cell phone number, can be used in conjunction with a password.
Encrypt Private Information
Encrypt any sensitive data you store, like passwords, user credentials, or payment information. Attackers find it harder to gain access to and steal data as a result of this. Keychain services offered by Apple enable you to safely store sensitive data.
Make use of Apple’s security features
Apple provides a number of security tools that can be used to make your iOS apps more secure. Examples of this include biometric authentication, sandboxing, Touch ID, and Face ID. You can restrict your app’s access to the device’s resources with sandboxing, preventing malicious apps from obtaining sensitive data.
Make regular updates to your apps
Frequently upgrading your apps can help fix security and vulnerability issues. Make sure that all of the available Apple security patches are installed and that any security issues that were found in earlier versions of your app are fixed.
Audit your security on a regular basis
Performing security audits on a regular basis can help you find security flaws and vulnerabilities in your iOS apps. To find and fix any flaws in your app, hire a reputable security company to conduct regular audits and penetration tests.
Use encryption for data that is not in use
Data that is kept on a device or server is referred to as “data at rest.” If a device or server is compromised, attackers have a harder time accessing encrypted data at rest. For encrypting data at rest, iOS supports a variety of encryption methods.
More apps mean more people use them, which means more data, making it a gold mine for scammers and hackers. Even though you won’t be able to completely eliminate fraud, adhering to the security best practices outlined in the previous blog post will almost certainly increase the resilience of your app.
Tips For Securing iOS Apps
In mobile apps, enable ATS.
Apple introduced ATS (Apple Transport Security) with the release of iOS 9 and ELCapitan, requiring apps to only connect to secure networks. This means that the application must use the HTTPS protocol and TLS1.2 for any connections it makes to the outside world.
Pinning with SSL Cert.
When confronted with a MITM (Man in the Middle) attack, this strategy is extremely effective. The “chain of trust” is how SSL works. The client verifies whether the SSL certificate of the received server is trusted by any SSL Certificate Authority before connecting to a server.
Using KeyChain rather than NSUserDefaults to store information.
We can use NSUserDefaults to keep small pieces of information that need to stay in place between app launches and device restarts. The information that is saved as part of UserDefaults is saved in plist as plain text that can be read by anyone with device access.
Removing confidential information from the code repository.
Instead of including any secret information in the code base or repo, we should use environment variables or configuration files that are injected when building apps. Xcode Config files, which store data specific to a specific target, are a good option. API keys are one use case; we should not include API keys in the code base. A config file with the API keys could be used. This file can be stored internally on the company network, read, and injected as part of the build process.
Detection of jailbreaks.
On a device that has been jailbroken, a hacker can easily and quickly compromise the logic and behaviour of an application. As developers, we must make it as difficult as possible for a hacker to access the app’s internal details. The logic to check for a jailbroken device as the first thing we do when we launch the app should absolutely be added. And possibly terminate the application after informing the user.
Conclusion
As app developers, we should always make it as difficult as possible for data or information to be compromised. We can absolutely accomplish this by adhering to standard app security procedures. Custom mobile app development services typically adhere to the aforementioned list, and are eager to learn about your own apps’ security best practices. Please share your thoughts with me, and keep an eye out for in-depth articles on some of these security procedures.
