It’s crucial to secure mobile applications in the present digital landscape, as mobile devices have become part and parcel of our daily lives, where you store oceans of personal and sensitive information. To ensure the safety and integrity of these applications, developers, and organizations depend on a varied array of security tools and strategies. In this article, you’re going to explore the most known security tools for mobile applications and go deep into the role they play in protecting the user data and functionality of mobile apps. Like a mobile device testing lab makes sure that hardware and software work seamlessly, these security tools serve as an important testing ground for identifying susceptibilities and executing protective measures in the ever-changing world of mobile app development. So, let’s get deep into them.
QARK
QARK stands for “Quick Android Review Kit,” and it was developed by LinkedIn. The name itself suggests that it is beneficial for the Android platform to recognize security loopholes in the mobile app source code and APK files. QARK is a static code analysis tool that supplies information about Android application-related security risks and provides a clear and precise description of issues. QARK creates ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands, which will help to verify the vulnerability that QARK detects.
Key Features:
- QARK is a free tool.
- It gives information about security susceptibilities.
- QARK will create a report about potential vulnerabilities and deliver information about what to do in order to fix them.
- It shows the issue related to the Android version.
- QARK analyzes all the components in the mobile app for misconfiguration and security threats.
- It generates a custom application for testing purposes in the form of an APK and recognizes the potential issues.
Micro Focus
Micro Focus and HPE Software have merged together, and they became the largest software company in the world. Micro Focus primarily focuses on the delivery of enterprise solutions to its customers in the areas of Security and Risk Management, DevOps, Hybrid IT, etc. Micro Focus delivers end-to-end mobile app security testing across various devices, platforms, networks, servers, etc. Fortify is a tool by Micro Focus that secures mobile apps before getting installed on a mobile device.
Key Features:
- Fortify performs comprehensive mobile security testing using a flexible delivery model.
- Security Testing involves static code scanning and scheduled scans for mobile apps and delivers accurate results.
- Identify security susceptibilities across – client, server, and network.
- Fortify allows standard scans, which helps to recognize malware.
- Fortify supports various platforms such as Google Android, Apple iOS, Microsoft Windows, and Blackberry.
ImmuniWeb MobileSuite
ImmuniWeb MobileSuite offers a distinguished combination of mobile app and its backend testing in an amalgamated offer. It inclusively covers Mobile OWASP Top 10 for the mobile app and SANS Top 25 and PCI DSS 6.5.1-10 for the backend. It comes with flexible packages in progress added with a zero false-positives SLA and a money-back guarantee for one single false-positive!
Key Features:
- Mobile app and backend testing.
- Zero false-positive SLA.
- PCI DSS and GDPR compliances.
- CVE, CWE, and CVSSv3 scores.
- Actionable remediation guidelines.
- SDLC and CI/CD tools integration.
- One-click virtual patching via WAF.
- 24/7 Access to security analysts.
ImmuniWeb MobileSuite delivers a free online mobile scanner for developers and SMEs to check privacy issues, verify application permissions, and run entire DAST/SAST testing for OWASP Mobile Top 10.
Synopsys
Synopsys supplies an inclusive solution for mobile app security testing. This solution identifies the potential risks in the mobile app and ensures that the mobile app is safe to use. There are numerous issues related to mobile app security, so using static and dynamic tools, Synopsys has developed a customized mobile app security testing suite.
Key Features:
- Merge various tools to get the most inclusive solution for mobile app security testing.
- It focuses on delivering security defectless software into the production environment.
- Synopsys aids in enhancing quality and decreases costs.
- Removes security susceptibilities from the side of the server applications and from APIs.
- It tests vulnerabilities using embedded software.
- Static and Dynamic scanning tools are used during mobile app security testing.
Veracode
Veracode is beneficial for services like providing application security to its customers worldwide. Veracode delivers services for web and mobile application security by using automated cloud-based service. Veracode’s Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST) solution checks the security loopholes in the mobile app and advises immediate action for a solution.
Key Features:
- It is easy to use and supplies exact security testing results.
- Security tests are performed based on the application. Finance and healthcare applications are tested in detail, while the simple web application is tested by simple scanning.
- Detailed testing is performed using complete coverage of mobile app use cases.
- Veracode Static Analysis supplies a fast and accurate code review result.
- It supplies multiple security scanning, which includes static, dynamic, and mobile app behavioral analysis under a single platform.
Zed Attack Proxy
Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is framed in a way that is simple and easy to use. In the beginning, it was used only for web applications to find vulnerabilities, but presently, it’s widely used by all the testers for mobile application security testing. ZAP supports sending malicious messages; hence, it is easier for the testers to test the security of the mobile apps. This type of testing is made to function by sending any request or file through a malicious message and testing if a mobile app is susceptible to the malicious message or not.
Key Features:
- World’s most well-known free security testing tool.
- ZAP is diligently maintained by hundreds of volunteers throughout the world.
- It’s simple enough to install.
- ZAP is available in 20 different languages.
- It is an international community-based tool that gives support and includes active development by volunteers throughout the world.
- It’s the best tool for manual security testing.
Android Debug Bridge
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command-line tool that communicates with the actual connected Android device or emulator to evaluate the security of mobile apps. It is also used as a client-server tool, which can be associated with multiple Android devices or emulators. It includes “Client” (which sends commands), “daemon” (which runs commands), and “Server” (which manages communication between the Client and the daemon).
Key Features:
- ADB can be unified with Google’s Android Studio IDE.
- Real-time monitoring of system events.
- It permits operating at the system level using shell commands.
- ADB communicates with devices using USB, WI-FI, Bluetooth, etc.
- ADB is added to the Android SDK package itself.
Codified Security
Codified Security is a well-known testing tool to carry out mobile application security testing. It recognizes and fixes the security susceptibilities and makes sure that the mobile app is secure to use. It follows a programmatic approach for security testing, which confirms that the mobile app security test results are measurable and dependable.
Key Features:
- It is an automated testing platform that checks security loopholes in the mobile app code.
- Codified Security supplies real-time feedback.
- It is aided by machine learning and static code analysis.
- It can support both Static and Dynamic testing in mobile app security testing.
- Code-level reporting aids in getting the issues in the mobile app’s client-side code.
- Codified Security supports iOS and Android platforms, etc.
- It can test a mobile app without actually receiving the source code. The data and source code is hosted on the Google Cloud.
- Files can be uploaded in multiple formats, such as APK, IPA, and so on.
Drozer
Drozer is a mobile app security testing framework developed by MWR InfoSecurity. It recognizes the security susceptibilities in the mobile apps and devices and makes sure that the Android devices, mobile apps, etc., are safe to use. Drozer takes minimum time to evaluate Android security-related issues by automating the complex and time-consuming activities.
Key Features:
- Drozer is a free tool.
- Drozer can support both actual Android devices and emulators for security testing.
- It can only support the Android platform.
- Implements Java-enabled code on the device itself.
- It supplies solutions in all areas of cybersecurity.
- Drozer support can be expanded to find and exploit concealed weaknesses.
- It identifies and interacts with the threat area in an Android app.
How LambdaTest Can Help With Mobile Application Security Testing?
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and test execution platform that supplies a wide range of features to help with mobile application security testing. Let’s have a look at how LambdaTest can be a source in enhancing your mobile app security:
Automated Testing: Automation testing is supported in LambdaTest, allowing you to perform security tests across multiple devices at the same time. This increases the testing process, providing more extensive coverage and cutting down the time it takes to detect security susceptibilities.
Real-Time Testing: With LambdaTest, you can conduct actual testing on physical devices, simulators, and emulators. This means you can interact with your mobile app just as a user would, making it easier to detect and address security concerns.
Secure and Isolated Testing Environments: LambdaTest offers secure and isolated testing environments, ensuring that your test data and results are kept confidential. This is critical for mobile app security, as you don’t want sensitive information or vulnerabilities to be exposed during testing.
Integration with Test Automation Frameworks: LambdaTest seamlessly merges with popular test automation frameworks like Selenium and Appium, giving you access to incorporate security testing into your present testing processes. This shows that security is an uncompromising part of your testing channel.
Performance Testing: Mobile app security is incomplete without performance. LambdaTest gives you performance testing abilities, helping you to detect how your app behaves under various loads and conditions, which can show prospective security weaknesses.
Comprehensive Reporting: It’s easy to track and document security issues as LambdaTest provides thorough reports and logs for each test. These reports can be used to get beneficial communication and collaboration among development and security teams.
Global Test Coverage: LambdaTest has a worldwide network of data centers, allowing you to perform tests from numerous geographical locations. This is significant for testing the security of your mobile app under various network conditions and geographic milieu.
Bottom Line
In this digitalized world, mobile application security is of foremost importance. By implementing the above-mentioned tools and remaining updated with the latest security trends and threats, developers and organizations can better defend their mobile applications and serve users with a much more shielded digital experience. You Should keep in mind that mobile security is a commitment that is always in progress, and a dynamic approach is needed to lessen susceptibilities and defend against powerful infringements.
