We live in a mobile and technology based world where nearly a billion new mobile phones ship each year. Businesses that are most efficiently adapting to today’s app lifestyle are the ones most successful at deepening customer engagement and driving new revenues in this ever-changing world. Where business opportunities rise, opportunities for black hat Hackers that conduct illicit, illegal and malicious activity also begin to rise. Hence creating an issue with security in mobile apps.

Hackers are increasingly aiming at binary code targets to launch attacks on high-value mobile applications across all platforms. Binary code is the 0’s and 1’s people may see on movies or TV shows. It is code that machines read to execute an application, essentially it is what you download when you access mobile apps from an app store like Google Play or Apple’s app store. It is translated into words, images, encryption details, many different things. Binary code is a secure way to keeping apps secure and safe for use, however, there are backdoor ways to disrupt an app, take for example Code modification (Code Injection).

Code Modification or Code Injection is the first category of binary-based vulnerability exploits, whereby hackers conduct unauthorized code modifications or insert malicious code into an application’s binaries. Code modification or code injection threat scenarios can include a hacker or hostile user, modifying the code to change its behavior. For example, disabling security controls, bypassing business rules, licensing restrictions, purchasing requirements or ad displays in the mobile app. A hacker can injecting malicious code into the binary code, and can; repackage the mobile apps and publish it as a new (supposedly legitimate) app, distribute under the guise of a patch or a crack (crack meaning with more freedom, you can do more on the app than what it was intentionally designed for), or (re)installing it on an unsuspecting user’s device.

Mobile hacking is something that is very important but has gone a little under the radar within the cybersecurity world. There a couple of methods to prevent such a thing from happening to an app you may be developing, or to your favorite app. By using a secure mobile management system this ensures that all the content that you are sending is being sent securely to users. What I think is the most important is the use of Two-Factor Authentication. Two-Factor Authentication is simply an extra step measure that is put in place to help determine you are who you say you are. If you are an admin and what access to the code, then you will be granted access, but if you are an intern not assigned to work on the code, then your credentials to sign in will not work, thus helping keep who sees what to a minimum. If you like to read more, like and share this article and follow my Facebook page. Thank you and Enjoy!