A security guide for the Android App Development process

The Android is a Google-powered mobile operating system which is based on the Linux open-source tech. No doubt, that Android OS has changed the whole mobile world. The recent statistics reveal that the sale of Android devices is much higher than iOS and so is the demand for Android apps. As the consequence, the app market is flooded with app developers who have an expertise in building superb apps. 

No matter how huge the demand is, accomplishing the same process is not simple as it sounds. The best thing about Android App Development is that the SDK (Software Development Kit) is available for free and getting your app published on Google Play is also hassle-free. As there are a wide array of Android devices available in the market and distinct flavours of OS versions, the app security has become a major concern for the developers.

Given below are some security features which you can implement to ensure the safeness of your Android app. 

Be cautious what data app stores in the device: While developing an app you need to draw out some parameters like what data would be cached, logged as well as what else will be stored in the structured data. Common vulnerabilities include unsafe storage of user credentials and sometimes even passwords within the structured data or system cache. 

Always Use Encrypted Communication: When it comes to communicating with the backend application server its recommended to opt for the encrypted format. The use of certificate pinning is a very good example of enhanced security and is considered as the best practices while developing an app. 

Don't trust any user input in a web app- As with the Apps, all user input should be treated as un-trusted and same should be done with Android apps as well. Various issues involving Cross-side scripting (XSS), SQL, JSON/XML and OS Command Injections, need to be handled by both the client and backend app server. It will be good if you avoid using classes with known faults in the code. 
Avoid storing any sensitive data: Make sure avoid storing any sort of sensitive information on your Android devices, especially during the run time. Doing this will surely discourage the hackers and prevent them from tampering your app. The idea behind this is the data processing, which can be deleted as soon as the requirement ends. 

Go through Perplexity: It is essential that your app must face an obfuscation process. This should be done to encrypt the key which has been used for the encryption. A good approach would be to avoid downloading the key from the server, especially during the run time. 

Avoid Unnecessary Permissions: Asking for excessive permissions should always be avoided in the Android apps. Only ask for the urgent ones. It should be strict “No” to use permissions that try to give access to personal information. 

Summing Up

This is a discussion on the potential security tips for Android development. Remember that it's essential to merge an effective and efficient app development life cycle which contains multiple app protection layers. It will be good if you draw a strict security checklist. This can help you pre-identify vulnerabilities present within your Android app.