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Industry-specific Considerations in Mobile App Penetration Testing: Finance, Healthcare, E-commerce

icon Posted by: Praveen Joshi
icon July 12, 2023

In Brief

Importance of Penetration Testing for Mobile Applications

When it comes to protecting mobile applications, penetration testing is essential. It is crucial to ensure that mobile devices are resilient against cyber threats. Especially when there is a growing reliance on them for a variety of tasks, including sensitive transactions. Penetration testing identifies flaws and vulnerabilities in mobile applications. This enables developers to fix them before hostile actors may use them to their advantage. Penetration testing evaluates the security posture of the mobile app, including the underlying infrastructure and data storage systems. Testing professionals do it by simulating actual attack scenarios. It assists in identifying security issues, such as unsecured data storage, shoddy authentication procedures, or insufficient encryption. If ignored, it can result in data breaches, unauthorized access, monetary losses, and reputational harm to an organization. Regular penetration testing enhances the overall security posture of mobile applications. Plus, it safeguards user data and instills trust in the app’s users.

80

applications are installed on average in a smartphone

60%

of all these applications are left untouched after the initial login.

25%

of all applications, or even more, on Google Play Store contain at least one security flaw.

93%

of healthcare organizations have suffered through hacking incidents during the last few years.

Mobile Application Penetration Testing Considerations for Finance, Healthcare, and E-commerce Industries

Industry-specific considerations in mobile app penetration testing vary based on the unique requirements and regulations of each sector. Here are the key points to consider for finance, healthcare, and e-commerce industries:

Finance:

  • Secure Transactions: Penetration testing should concentrate on the security of financial transactions. It will ensure that data transmission channels, encryption techniques, and payment gateways are reliable and impervious to eavesdropping and alteration.

  • Compliance: Compliance is important because financial firms must adhere to stringent regulatory regulations (like PCI-DSS). Penetration testing assists in locating weaknesses that could result in non-compliance and possible penalties.
  • User Authentication: To prevent unauthorized access to financial data and accounts, testing should assess the efficacy of authentication techniques. It includes measures like two-factor authentication and biometrics.
  • Secure Storage: Assuring sufficient encryption, access controls, and protection against data leakage is vital. Plus, testing should evaluate the security of stored financial data, including account information and transaction records.

Healthcare

  • Patient Data Protection: Application/Android penetration testing should focus on electronic health records (EHRs). It would guarantee that sensitive patient data is kept private and shielded from unauthorized access or manipulation.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Strict regulations, such as HIPAA (in the US), control the healthcare sector and demand that organizations respect patient privacy. By discovering flaws in the way, the app handles patient data, penetration testing ensures compliance.
  • Integration with Medical Devices: Mobile health apps frequently communicate with medical equipment. Therefore, it’s critical to assess the security of these connections to guard against potential security flaws. If unattended, these are the flaws that could jeopardize patient safety.
  • Secure Communication: Pen testing should evaluate the security of data transmission methods, such as telemedicine platforms. It helps to provide secure and encrypted communication between healthcare practitioners and patients.

E-commerce:

  • Payment Security: Mobile application penetration testing should concentrate on the security of payment gateways, shopping carts, and financial transactions. This allows us to avoid credit card fraud, data breaches, and unauthorized access to consumer payment information.
  • User Privacy: Personal data, such as addresses and contact information, is frequently collected by e-commerce apps. This data should be handled securely, with appropriate access rules, encryption, and leak protection, according to testing.
  • Secure APIs: APIs are widely used by e-commerce platforms to integrate with outside services. These APIs’ security should be evaluated through penetration testing. It will make sure that they are guarded against threats including injection, unauthorized access, and data exposure.
  • Inventory Management: Testing should evaluate the app’s inventory management system, ensuring it is secure from unauthorized access, tampering, or manipulation. So, malicious activities won’t lead to inventory discrepancies or supply chain disruptions.

So, these are the industry-specific considerations in mobile app penetration testing. They enable the protection of sensitive data, maintenance of compliance, and improvement of the overall security posture of mobile applications. These considerations make sure that the particular security challenges and regulatory requirements of each sector are effectively addressed.

Before You Go!

  • It is a tricky task to take care of all these considerations for any organization single-handedly.
  • Such organizations can seek help from an expert and experienced mobile application penetration testing service.

Tags

  • mobile application security
  • mobile penetration testing

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