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Mobile app security with App Defender

App Defender is a runtime application self-protection solution that will protect your app against malware and security threats.

Benefits

  • Defend

    Prevent would-be attackers from reverse-engineering and modifying your app.

  • Detect

    Monitor the runtime behaviour of your app and detect whether it's executing in an insecure environment.

  • React

    Interrupt potential attacks by modifying the behaviour of your app in real time.

What is App Defender?

App Defender is the outer layer in the Signicat “risk onion” – the layered security framework of Defend, Detect, and React.

This layered approach protects against compromises, prevents attempts to steal data or security credentials, and makes it difficult for cyber criminals to tamper with security controls.

Devices are not secure

Smart devices are insecure. The Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems have their own unique weaknesses. In particular, the sheer number of Android devices inevitably leads to fragmentation, which combined with user oversight for updates leave many of them lacking the updates necessary to remain safe.

While iOS does not sufer quite the same fragmentation, old devices are not updated as often as needed, and users, frustrated by Apple’s walled garden approach, often jailbreak their devices to unlock additional functionality.

Both operating systems have inherent risks. That iOS and Android provide adequate security for mobile devices and apps is simply a myth.

Repackaged apps and reverse engineering

These are not the only threats to mobile apps from hackers. Attackers will also use debuggers and emulators to gain deeper insight into an application, reverse engineering it so they can attack it more effectively. They may then repackage an app and place it on an unofficial app store so as to trick users into downloading it, compromising the device.

Risk vs. availability

There is a stark choice to be made when using smart devices for authentication

Severely limit the number of devices that can be used, or ensure that even compromised devices can be used securely.

There is no longer a need to limit your customers to specific devices, OS updates, or turn away those who have jailbroken their device. With App Defender your app can be used on compromised devices, and in combination with Signicat's SCA solution you can configure the security settings according to your risk policy.