DevSecOps for Mobile: The Secret to Building Secure Apps at Scale

DevSecOps for Mobile: The Secret to Building Secure Apps at Scale

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Introduction

Our everyday existence is obliquely incomplete without the escalating significance of mobile applications. The multiple benefits of convenience, entertainment, productivity and connectivity are all bestowed upon us by these apps. On the flip side, the security risks are noticeably high as they can put confidential data at stake, breach user privacy and provide leeway to malevolent cyber-attacks.

Incorporating security into every phase of the software development cycle including planning, delivering and operating, is crucial for developers to guarantee the security and reliability of mobile apps. Adopting a DevSecOps mindset, which emphasizes security as a collective responsibility rather than an afterthought or a bottleneck, comprises a toolkit of procedures.

Mobile apps, built securely at scale, can be achieved through the implementation of DevSecOps. Our blog post will delve into this topic and cover a range of important points, including:

• Shift left on security and involved everyone in the organization in building and operating secure mobile apps.
• Secure your software supply chain and ensure the integrity and security of the code and dependencies.
• Deliver on a secure platform and leverage built-in security features and services.
• How to benefit from DevSecOps best practices and tools for mobile app development and delivery.

By integrating these best practices and tools into your mobile app development process, you can rest assured that you are delivering a high-quality product that is both secure and reliable.

Improve your security posture, reduce costs, and accelerate time to market with DevSecOps for mobile apps. This blog post will provide you with a better understanding of how it works.

Shift Left on Security

A key concept of DevSecOps for mobile applications is to prioritize security from the start. This involves applying security tools and methods in the initial phases of the development process, instead of postponing them until the testing or deployment stage. By doing so, you can detect and fix potential security flaws as soon as they occur, rather than after they have been exploited.

Prioritizing security from the start can also foster better cooperation and communication among developers and security teams, as they have a common objective of creating secure mobile applications. Furthermore, prioritizing security from the start can lower the expenses and time required to resolve security issues later in the development cycle, as well as improve the user satisfaction and confidence.

To prioritize security from the start for mobile applications, you need to take into account the following factors:

• Engage everyone in the organization in developing and operating secure mobile applications.
• Integrate security thinking in the early stages of development, from planning to development, packaging and deployment.
• Utilize tools and practices that facilitate prioritizing security from the start such as code analysis, dependency scanning, secret scanning etc. 

Let’s examine each of these factors in more depth.

Engage everyone in the organization in developing and operating secure mobile applications.

Security is not a task that belongs to a single security team or a specific role. It is a collective duty among all participants involved in the mobile app development and delivery process, from developers to testers, managers and operators.

To cultivate a security mindset in your organization, you need to:

• Inform everyone about the significance and advantages of security for mobile apps.
• Establish clear and coherent security rules and policies.
• Promote feedback and cooperation among different teams and roles.
• Appreciate and acknowledge good security practices and behaviors.

Integrate security thinking in the early stages of development, from planning to development, packaging and deployment.

Security should not be a secondary concern or a distinct stage in the development process. It should be a core component of every phase, from planning to development, packaging, and deployment.

To integrate security thinking in the initial stages of development, you need to:

• Establish and rank your security needs and goals.
• Recognize and evaluate your security hazards and challenges.
• Create and apply your security structure and functions.
• Examine and validate your security premises and results.

Utilize tools and practices that facilitate prioritizing security from the start such as code analysis, dependency scanning, secret scanning etc.

To prioritize security from the start effectively, you need to use tools and practices that can help you simplify and automate your security tasks and workflows. These tools and practices can help you identify and resolve security issues more quickly and easily, as well as enhance your security visibility and awareness.

Some examples of tools and practices that facilitate prioritizing security from the start are:

• Code analysis: This is a method that examines your source code for possible security flaws such as buffer overflows, SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), etc. Code analysis can be done statically (before executing the code) or dynamically (while executing the code). Some examples of code analysis tools are CodeQL, SonarQube, Veracode,etc. 
• Dependency scanning: This is a method that scans your dependencies (such as libraries, frameworks, plugins, etc.) for known security flaws such as outdated versions, unpatched bugs or insecure configurations. Dependency scanning can help you maintain your dependencies up to date and secure. Some examples of dependency scanning tools are Dependabot, Snyk, WhiteSource, etc. 
• Secret scanning: This is a method that scans your code for secrets (such as passwords, API keys, tokens, etc.) that should not be revealed or stored in plain text. Secret scanning can help you avoid unauthorized access or leakage of sensitive data. Some examples of secret scanning tools are GitHub Secret Scanning, GitGuardian, Detectify, etc. 

By prioritizing security from the start for mobile apps, you can improve your security position, lower costs and time to market and deliver better user experience and trust.

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Secure Your Software Supply Chain

Another key concept of DevSecOps for mobile applications is to protect your software supply chain. This involves verifying the integrity and security of the code and dependencies that you use to create and deliver your mobile applications. The software supply chain consists of everything and everyone that interacts with your code in the software development lifecycle from application development to the CI/CD pipeline and deployment.

Protecting your software supply chain can help you avoid malicious attacks that exploit flaws in the code and dependencies, such as outdated versions, unpatched bugs or insecure configurations. These attacks can jeopardize not only your mobile applications, but also your customers and users. For example, in 2020, SolarWinds was hacked by attackers who inserted malicious code into its Orion IT monitoring and management software, which was used by many large corporations and government agencies. In 2021, Log4j, a widely used open-source software, was discovered to have a critical flaw that could enable remote code execution on any system running Java applications that use Log4j.

To protect your software supply chain for mobile applications, you need to consider the following factors:

• Identify and fix potential security flaws automatically at code review time.
• Enhance the CI/CD delivery of mobile applications by verifying the integrity and security of the code and dependencies.
• Use tools and practices that facilitate protecting the software supply chain such as GitHub Advanced Security, CodeQL, Dependabot, etc. 

Let’s examine each of these factors in more depth.

Identify and fix potential security flaws automatically at code review time.

One of the most effective ways to protect your software supply chain is to identify and resolve potential security flaws as soon as possible in the development process. This can help you prevent adding security issues to your code base or dependencies, as well as lower the costs and time required to fix them later.

To identify and resolve potential security flaws automatically at code review time, you need to:

• Use code analysis tools that can examine your source code for common security issues such as buffer overflows, SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), etc. 
• Use dependency scanning tools that can check your dependencies for known security issues such as outdated versions, unpatched bugs, or insecure configurations.
• Use secret scanning tools that can check your code for secrets (such as passwords, API keys, tokens, etc.) that should not be revealed or stored in plain text.
• Use automated remediation tools that can propose or apply fixes for the identified security issues.

Enhance the CI/CD delivery of mobile applications by verifying the integrity and security of the code and dependencies.

Another method to protect your software supply chain is to enhance the CI/CD delivery of mobile apps by verifying the integrity and security of the code and dependencies. This can help you avoid unauthorized or malicious modifications to your code or dependencies during the delivery process, as well as ensure that only reliable and verified artifacts are deployed to production.

To enhance the CI/CD delivery of mobile apps by verifying the integrity and security of the code and dependencies, you need to:

• Use digital signatures to sign your code and dependencies with cryptographic keys that confirm their authenticity and origin.
• Use checksums or hashes to check that your code and dependencies have not been altered or damaged during transit or storage.
• Use access control mechanisms to limit who can access or change your code and dependencies.
• Use audit logs or traceability tools to track and monitor the changes and activities related to your code and dependencies.

Some examples of tools that can help you enhance the CI/CD delivery of mobile apps by verifying the integrity and security of the code and dependencies are:

• GitHub Actions: This is a feature that allows you to automate your workflows on GitHub. You can use it to create custom CI/CD pipelines for your mobile apps, as well as integrate with other tools for signing, verifying, controlling or tracking your code and dependencies. 
• Azure DevOps: This is a platform that provides a set of cloud services for collaborating on software development projects. It includes Azure Pipelines, Azure Repos, Azure Artifacts, Azure Key Vault and more. You can use it to build, test, deploy and manage your mobile apps, as well as secure your code and dependencies. 
• JFrog Artifactory: This is a universal artifact repository manager that supports multiple package formats and technologies. You can use it to store, manage and distribute your code and dependencies, as well as secure them with digital signatures, checksums, access control and audit logs.

Use tools and practices that facilitate protecting the software supply chain such as GitHub Advanced Security, CodeQL, Dependabot, etc. 

To protect your software supply chain effectively, you need to use tools and practices that can help you simplify and automate your security tasks and workflows. These tools and practices can help you identify and resolve security issues more quickly and easily, as well as enhance your security visibility and awareness.

Some examples of tools and practices that facilitate protecting the software supply chain are:

• GitHub Advanced Security: This is a set of features that integrates with GitHub to provide complete security for your code and dependencies. It includes code scanning, secret scanning, dependency review, dependency graph, Dependabot alerts, Dependabot security updates and more. 
• CodeQL: This is a powerful semantic code analysis engine that can query your code as if it were data. It can help you discover security flaws and other defects in any language across multiple platforms. 
• Dependabot: This is a tool that can keep your dependencies up to date by automatically creating pull requests to update them to the latest versions. It can also alert you to any security vulnerabilities in your dependencies and propose fixes. 

By protecting your software supply chain for mobile apps, you can avoid malicious attacks that exploit flaws in the code and dependencies, as well as deliver more dependable and trustworthy mobile apps.

Deliver on a Secure Platform

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The last key concept of DevSecOps for mobile applications is to deliver on a secure platform. This involves running your mobile applications more securely on a reliable platform that offers built-in security features and services. The platform can be a cloud service such as Azure or AWS, or an on-premises infrastructure, such as Kubernetes or Docker.

Delivering on a secure platform can help you safeguard your mobile applications from external threats such as denial-of-service attacks, data breaches or unauthorized access. It can also help you adhere to regulatory and industry standards such as GDPR, HIPAA or PCI DSS.

To deliver on a secure platform for mobile applications, you need to take into account the following factors:

• Manage access control, encryption, authentication, monitoring and threat detection for mobile applications.
• Leverage built-in security features and services provided by the platform.
• Use tools and practices that facilitate delivering on a secure platform such as Azure App Service Mobile Apps, Azure Key Vault, Azure Active Directory, etc. 

Let’s examine each of these factors in more depth.

Manage access control, encryption, authentication, monitoring and threat detection for mobile applications.

One of the important aspects of delivering on a secure platform is to handle the security aspects of your mobile apps such as access control, encryption, authentication, monitoring and threat detection. These aspects can help you ensure that only authorized users and devices can access your mobile apps and data, that your data is secured at rest and in transit, that your app performance and behavior are monitored and evaluated, and that any potential threats or anomalies are detected and resolved.

To handle the security aspects of your mobile apps, you need to:

• Use access control mechanisms to limit who can access or change your mobile apps and data. For example, you can use role-based access control (RBAC) to assign different levels of permissions to different users or groups based on their roles and responsibilities. 
• Use encryption techniques to secure your data at rest and in transit. For example, you can use Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt the communication between your mobile app and the backend service and use encryption keys to encrypt the data stored in the database or the cloud storage. 
• Use authentication methods to confirm the identity of your users and devices. For example, you can use OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect to enable your users to sign in with their existing credentials from social media platforms or enterprise identity providers. 
• Use monitoring tools to gather and analyze metrics and logs related to your mobile app performance and behavior. For example, you can use Application Insights or New Relic to monitor the availability, reliability, responsiveness and user satisfaction of your mobile app. 
• Use threat detection tools to recognize and respond to any potential threats or anomalies related to your mobile app security. For example, you can use Azure Security Center or AWS GuardDuty to detect malicious activities or vulnerabilities in your cloud environment.

Leverage built-in security features and services provided by the platform.

Another factor of delivering on a secure platform is to use the built-in security features and services provided by the platform. These features and services can help you automate and simplify your security tasks and workflows by providing ready-made solutions that are tailored for specific scenarios or needs.

To use the built-in security features and services provided by the platform, you need to:

• Choose a platform that meets the security requirements and objectives of your mobile app. For example, if you need to adhere to GDPR or HIPAA regulations, you should pick a platform that offers compliance certifications and guarantees. 
• Explore the security features and services offered by the platform and choose the ones that fit your needs. For example, if you need to store sensitive data in the cloud securely, you should use a service that offers encryption at rest and in transit. 
• Integrate the security features and services with your mobile app development and delivery process. For example, if you use GitHub Actions for CI/CD pipelines, you should combine it with GitHub Advanced Security for code scanning.

Use tools and practices that facilitate delivering on a secure platform.

To deliver on a secure platform effectively, you need to use tools and practices that can help you simplify and automate your security tasks and workflows. These tools and practices can help you enhance your security position, lower costs and complexity and speed up time to market.

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Some examples of tools and practices that facilitate delivering on a secure platform are:

• Azure App Service Mobile Apps: This is a feature of Azure App Service that allows you to quickly build captivating cross-platform and native apps for iOS, Android, Windows or Mac. It offers built-in security features such as SSL via HTTPS, certificate validation, corporate sign-in, offline data sync, etc. 
• Azure Key Vault: This is a service that allows you to safely store and manage secrets (such as passwords, API keys, tokens) used by your cloud applications. It offers built-in security features such as encryption, access control, auditing, etc. 
• Azure Active Directory: This is a service that allows you to control the identity and access of your users and devices. It offers built-in security features such as single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, conditional access, etc. 

By delivering on a secure platform for mobile apps, you can run your mobile apps more securely on a reliable platform that provides built-in security features and services. In the conclusion section, we will recap the main points and takeaways of this blog post.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have discussed how DevSecOps can help you create secure mobile apps at scale. And we have addressed the following topics:

• How to prioritize security from the start and engage everyone in the organization in developing and operating secure mobile apps.
• How to protect your software supply chain and verify the integrity and security of the code and dependencies.
• How to deliver on a secure platform and use built-in security features and services.

By adhering to these DevSecOps principles and practices, you can enhance your security position, lower costs and time to market and deliver better user experience and trust. You can also take advantage of the tools and resources that we have mentioned throughout this blog post such as GitHub Advanced Security, CodeQL, Dependabot, Azure App Service Mobile Apps, Azure Key Vault, Azure Active Directory, etc.

We hope this blog post has motivated you to adopt DevSecOps for your mobile app development and delivery. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact us. Thank you for reading!

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