How to Secure iOS Apps and Protect Users’ Private Data?

Around 7.2 billion people use mobile phones across the globe, and a mobile phone is useless without mobile applications. In this world of technology, every action performed by users on their electronic gadgets is done through mobile apps and critical user data is just one click away from being stolen by hackers. All these applications work on several operating systems such as Windows by Microsoft, Android by Google, and iOS by Apple. Out of all these operating systems, iOS is the most loved operating system due to its safety and other features.

Apple provides great security features to prevent user data from unauthorized access and iOS is one of the safest operating systems available. However, online data thieves need just a small loophole to breach the highly advanced app data security systems created by cyber security experts. Therefore, to minimize the loss, iOS app developers should go the extra mile to protect and secure user data.

Why is it important to secure user data in iOS App Development?

Digital thefts and data breaches are quite common these days and cause a lot of trouble to app users. Protecting user data not only helps to prevent any loss to the user but also safeguards the app developers from various legal implications. Protecting user data helps build trust with the user and prevents damage to the app’s credibility.

One of the most infamous incidents of data breaches is the 2013 Yahoo data breach in which Yahoo claimed that data of around 3 billion users was accessed by hackers after a cyber attack on their servers. Another very well-known case of data breach was the Alibaba data leak. In 2022, malicious infiltrators secured access to the biometric and other personal data of 1.1 billion alibaba. Because of such incidents, users prefer using iOS over other operating systems. But, a major question is, how secure is iOS?

How secure is iOS?

Apple has included many safety features in its operating system and this makes iOS one of the safest operating systems in the world. iOS offers various robust safety mechanisms to protect the data of their users. Starting from face and touch ID to high-level data encryption, iOS has several layers of security to prevent any sort of data breach.

Apple adds various layers of protection in mobile apps to make sure that only the vetted applications make it to the user’s mobile phones. Apart from this, the closed source code used by Apple along with the walled garden approach makes it difficult for hackers to access sensitive information. However, there are chances that even the iOS servers might get hacked. Now that we know how secure iOS is, let’s try to understand certain points that app developers need to keep in mind while developing an iOS application.

Important points for iOS developers to keep in mind

While creating an iOS mobile app, user data security on iOS is paramount, and therefore, even the app developers must take some preventive measures to avoid data breaches. These steps can prove to be very helpful because they help prevent data breaches and even in case of a security threat the least amount of data is stolen or is accessible by the hackers.

• Don’t request data that is not required

Many app developers request unnecessary data which isn’t required but in case of a data breach, this useless data will be the most misused. Therefore, app developers must make sure that they request data which is crucial for the normal operation of the app.

• Use the least amount of data that is required

Data is very important for the normal functioning of mobile apps. However, having more data not only takes up more space on the servers but also makes data more prone to cyber attacks. Therefore, it is recommended to develop the application in such a way that the least amount of data is used.

• Enhance transparency with users about data usage

When users get to know what their data is being used for, it helps gain their trust for future transactions with the business. It also shows that the data collected is for useful purposes and that it will not be used for any purpose other than what it was collected for. Therefore, iOS App developers must enhance transparency with their users. They can do so by obtaining informed consent from the users and by providing data access.

Important steps for iOS app developers to implement for protecting user data

Protection of user data is one of the top priorities of iOS app developers not only for user safety but also because iOS has very strict rules with regard to data protection. Therefore, there are many safety parameters that an app needs to clear in order to be available for usage. Here are a few important steps that iOS app developers must implement to protect an iOS app’s data:

• Secure network communication

There is one common rule that must never be bypassed: there should be nothing but HTTPS between the app and backend servers. The SSL/TLS certificates should be proper and up to date in order to prevent interception of data.

Use certificate pinning in an effort to stop MITM attacks. This makes it certain that the app only interacts with the recognized servers and that any risk related to the CA (Certificate Authority) is well contained. During any network request, always check for server certificates to be certain that the app is communicating with the correct server lest it interact with an impostor or attacker in disguise.

• Data Encryption

Store passwords, tokens, or any other form of private information in the iOS version of Keychain. When launched, the Keychain encrypts the data and enables you to retrieve it even when the device’s screen is locked. Employ good secure encryption like the AES to protect the information more especially when it is transmitted. When dealing with data, it is desirable to make it secure in transmission and during storage.

To achieve app-level encryption use Apple’s CommonCrypto API. On the other hand, other libraries include CryptoSwift to encrypt/decrypt the data in real-time. Always make sure that all the encryptions you use are very strong like the AES-256 encryption.

• Regular security updates

App developers must make sure that the third-party libraries and SDKs of the app should always stay updated with the latest version in terms of security. Apple often sets updates to the iOS platform with security fixes typically. Your app should include the updated version of iOS and get your app tested with updates to acknowledge the risks.

Always look out for any security flaws that are likely to threaten iOS or any third-party libraries you may be using. Security mailing lists and Github dependabot are other ways of being alerted when there is a vulnerability in a security application.

• Strong authorization and authentication

Make use of password strength pointers to make sure that the new password is hard to crack. Suggest users to create strong passwords for their accounts and wherever possible, you should always use multi-factor authentication. This provides extra security measures since after entering the credentials that are used to log in, the users are expected to verify themselves through some sort of identification that may include SMS, email, or other authenticator apps.

To accomplish secure authorization, incorporate protocols that are compliant with the market standards such as OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. These enable the implementation of user authentication and management of tokens in a manner that will not compromise effort or credentials. There is also the added ability for app developers to incorporate other biometric authentication controllers built in iOS such as the Face ID and Touch ID.

• Secure code practices

App developers must use SwiftShield or any other code obfuscator in order to make it impossible for others to hack sensitive data. Using obscuring techniques slows the analysis and extraction of valuable data and business information. If storage is required, then encryption must happen and sensitive data in any form should never be stored in clear text.

This includes but is not limited to API keys or passwords and any other sensitive information that you want to preserve. For these types of information, it is recommended to use environment variables or iOS’s Keychain. Signature code to check that the code of the app has been modified without permission. Use the app Integrity Check to see whether the app has been tampered with after download or not.

Protecting user data is a priority!

Apple is famous for its security and it is very difficult to get access to iOS app data. They provide regular security updates to stay ahead of the game. However, no server can be saved from malicious cyber attacks. Therefore, it is the responsibility of iOS app developers to inculcate strict security measures in their applications to protect and secure user data and make sure that it is not misused.

Get assistance from Appventurez to protect your user’s critical data

Various iOS app development companies create some of the finest apps that enhance user experience manyfold. However, what they fail at doing is protecting user data. On the other hand, Appventurez is one of the best App development companies that primarily focus on data security in mobile applications. We at Appventurez are your one-stop shop for all app development needs. From app design to app testing, we’ve got you covered.