WilliamTRobinson

The number of smartphones in use is expected to exceed 6 billion by 2020, according to a report by IHS Markit. There is likely to be similar growth in consumer spending on apps. In fact, gross revenues across all app stores are expected to cross $100 billion by 2020, according to an article by App Annie.

With the growing use of apps, enterprises are likely to continue increasing their spend on Android app development. This trend needs to be accompanied by an increase in spend on ensuring app security. This has not been the case so far, leaving apps exposed to different threats.

The OWASP 2016 Security Project lists the top 10 vulnerabilities, which can significantly hamper a company's brand image and increase the risk of lawsuits.

Here are 8 factors that should be part of the security checklist of an Android app development company to help minimize the risk of data breach.

Top 8 Factors in Security Checklist for Android Application Development

1. Developers should use the Android Application Sandbox to restrict access to one app by another.
2. Encrypted File System should be ensured to restrict data access to one user by another user in the app.
3. Robust Registration and Activation Process should be followed to ensure app security.
4. The number of permission app requests should be minimized to protect user privacy.
5. Sensitive information should not be stored on external storage like SD cards which are globally readable and writable.
6. Strong input validations should be performed to restrict the entry of any improperly formed data.
7. Extra caution needs to be taken during Network Transactions in Android app development to minimize the risk of data stealing.
8. Use of native code increases security issues like buffer overflows and off-by-one error. In general, Android app developers should use Android SDK for development.

When Android app development services give priority to app security, it raises the chances of the app's success.

Read More: 8 Point Security Checklist for Android App Development