Cybersecurity is an important aspect that is going to have a prime focus in the upcoming decade. Today, more than the physical threat, cyber threats and cyber attacks are more feared of. With the advent of cloud technology and almost all the sensitive data being stored on the cloud, it has become a norm to perform the cybersecurity checks for the mobile and web apps alike. Cybersecurity is an area which is quite a niche and not a self-explanatory one. Earlier the security checks were limited and quite easy to perform but, as the technology has evolved, a number of security checks are introduced which are necessary to perform if you are request, storing, and processing client data or any other data of an sorts.
These cybersecurity checks are performed with a motive of penetrating and infiltrating the apps purposely and monitoring where the apps fail. A systematic report is prepared at the end of each test which gives the developers an idea about the loopholes and weak points which they can rectify before the apps are made available to the intended users. There is an extensive list of the checks that are performed on the apps and not all are necessary and mostly depends on the concept, area of operation, and usage of the apps. However, there are certain cybersecurity checks which are must-haves for any app to ensure there is no rejection from the AppStore and PlayStore and the audience who will use the app.
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7 must-have cybersecurity checks for mobile and web apps
1
VAPT [Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing]
What:**Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing or VAPT is a type of check that comprises of two part process. The first part is targeted for identifying the vulnerabilities existing in the system or an app. The second part then exploits or tried to penetrate into the system based on the identified vulnerabilities to assess the potential damage. This provides a real-world view of risks posed by discovered vulnerabilities. It emulates attacker behavior to uncover security weaknesses in configurations, code, or infrastructure.
Who does it: Typically conducted by specialized cybersecurity professionals or a third-party VAPT security company.
**Expected output:**List of vulnerabilities, their severity, exploitability proof, and recommended mitigation strategies.
**Frequency: **At least once every 6-12 months.
**Report format: **
- Executive Summary
- Risk Classification (CVSS Score)
- Vulnerability Details
- Screenshots/Proof of Concept
- Mitigation Recommendations
- Retest Summary (if applicable)
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2
SAST [Static Application Security Testing]
What:**SAST is a white box testing approach of cybersecurity that is aimed to assist developers identify and fix security flaws early in the development lifecycle. SAST analyzes source code, bytecode, or binaries for vulnerabilities without executing the application. It helps identify issues like hardcoded credentials, buffer overflows, or SQL injection during the early stages of development, reducing fix costs.
Who does it: Generally developers or security teams using automated SAST tools.
**Expected output:**Vulnerability list with code references, impacted files, and remediation suggestions.
**Frequency: **Every time code is committed or during CI/CD builds.
**Report format: **
- Issue summary
- Code snippets
- Severity classification
- Line number reference
- Fix recommendation
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3
DAST [Dynamic Application Security Testing]
What:**As the name suggests DAST is a method of security testing the applications while they are running. DAST is a black-box testing method where the application is analyzed in its running state to find security vulnerabilities like broken authentication or XSS. It simulates an external attack without access to source code.
Who does it: Security testers or dedicated QA/security engineers using DAST tools.
Expected output: List of runtime vulnerabilities, risk ratings, affected URLs, and remediation guidance.
**Frequency: **After every major deployment or monthly in production environments.
**Report format: **
- Summary of vulnerabilities
- HTTP request/response samples
- Vulnerable endpoints
- Severity tags
- Fix steps
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4
OWASP Top 10 Compliance Testing
What:**A targeted security review focused on the OWASP Top 10, which are the most common and critical web app security risks (e.g., SQLi, XSS, broken access control). It ensures your app aligns with widely accepted security practices. These risks include broken access control, injection, and insecure design, are potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.
**Who does it:**Security engineers, QA teams, or external security firms.
Expected output: Checklist or report showing app compliance status for each OWASP risk category.
**Frequency: **Every 6 months or post-release.
**Report format: **
- Risk category
- Description
- Compliance status (Pass/Fail)
- Evidence
- Mitigation advice
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5
API Security Testing
What:**This includes evaluation of RESTful or GraphQL APIs for security issues such as broken authentication, rate limiting bypass, insecure data exposure, etc. It includes fuzzing, token abuse tests, and input validation checks. The checks are made in order to ensure that the mid-way attacks are nullified and how secure the APIs are to prevent the data leaks.
**Who does it:**Security engineers or external penetration testers.
Expected output: List of vulnerable endpoints, misuse scenarios, and risk classifications.
**Frequency: **After new API version releases or monthly for high-use APIs.
**Report format: **
- Endpoint list
- Vulnerability details
- Attack scenarios
- Status codes and sample payloads
- Fix guidelines
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6
Third-Party Dependency Scanning
What:**In today’s app development landscape, third-parties are an integral part of the development and implementation of the functionalities required by the apps. These third-parties however operate on a SaaS mode and are developed by some other companies hence, it’s a must to have a security scan and check on these. This test involves scanning all libraries, frameworks, and packages in your codebase for known vulnerabilities (CVEs). It helps ensure you’re not introducing risks through outdated or unpatched dependencies.
**Who does it:**DevOps teams or automated CI/CD integrations.
**Expected output:**List of vulnerable libraries, affected versions, and suggested patches.
**Frequency: **Continuously via CI/CD or at least weekly.
**Report format: **
- Dependency name & version
- CVE ID
- Severity
- Upgrade suggestion
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7
Cloud Security Posture Review
What:**A security check for evaluating an cloud security, identify vulnerabilities, assess configurations, and ensure compliance with security standards. As cloud is the new normal and sometimes easily breachable, this security stands paramount in today’s data storage trends of cloud. It includes an assessment of the cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) configurations, access controls, and storage practices for security best practices. Focuses on IAM, public buckets, firewalls, etc.
**Who does it:**Cloud security engineers or third-party auditors.
**Expected output:**Misconfiguration findings, public exposure risks, encryption status, and policy improvement suggestions.
**Frequency: **Quarterly or after infrastructure changes.
**Report format: **
- Resource list
- Issue breakdown
- Screenshots/metadata
- Suggested policy updates
Conclusion
As the technology is evolving and moving towards a more digitization, it’s also a time to give equal importance to in the area of cybersecurity specifically in the field of the healthcare, finance, banking, and such data-sensitive landscapes. Data is the new currency in today’s world and hence it’s protection is important by the apps that is collecting, storing, and processing this data. A smallest glitch of a breach can result in unimaginable consequences which might be beyond repair. While developing an app, it’s essential to ensure that the above mentioned security checks are completed which covers all the aspects of the app. These are the concept agnostic checks which assists in making any app secure and attack-proof. Get your app checked for security lapses today with Nimblechapps.