What Is Application Security & Why Is It Essential?

An application gives your customers access to your products and services from anywhere with a functional internet connection. With a tap on a phone or a stroke on a keyboard, they're working with you in a format you've designed and branded for your company. 

While apps can be amazing assets, they can also be incredibly vulnerable to attack. And when they are attacked, the damage can be catastrophic. 

In April of 2020, for example, a hacker pulled down and published records from 20 million Android app users. The hacker claimed to have 19 million more. 

Solid application security practices ensure that you build your app with safety in mind. And the processes you use to test the app ensure that you're always prepared for the next threat. 

How Does Application Security Work? 

It's relatively easy to understand why any company would want to perform at least some application security testing. But determining how and when to tackle the work is a bit trickier. 

In general, it takes at least five months to build an app. And a great deal of time should be devoted to testing your app against threats. The code you use here can either leave you open to attack or prevent one from happening in the first place. 

But when your app is up and running, application security testing via audits can ensure you both find and fix new problems clever hackers uncovered. 

Common techniques companies use include:

• Whitebox security reviews. An expert walks through the source code, searching for security flaws and coding issues. 
• Blackbox security reviews. An expert attempts to hack the app, and you're notified of any techniques that seemed to work. 
• Vulnerability testing. Some companies offer hacker teams to test your product and report anything found. 

With so many opportunities and tools available, it's really up to you to find the technique and timing that work for your company. 

Common Application Security Techniques 

Let's dig into the nitty-gritty of application security testing. Know that some companies use several of these methods at the same time to keep their products safe and secure, while others use only one or two. Here’s a great list of application security and penetration testing tools.

In general, four main testing types exist.

1. Dynamic: The code you're running within your app right now is analyzed line by line. If you use this technique along with a hired hacker trying to break in, you'll see the attack unfold in real-time. 
2. Static: Examine one part of your code very carefully during the development stage. Think of this as code proofreading to ensure you don't make crucial mistakes. 
3. Interactive: Combine static and dynamic techniques to tear your code apart and examine it closely.
4. Mobile: Ask a hacker to attempt an attack while running the app on a mobile device. 

In addition to testing, you could use a product to help ensure that your app is safe and secure. Plenty exist, but most tools operate in one of these models:

• Alert: A tool like this can't prevent a hacker from getting inside. But once your walls have been breached, you'll know about it. 
• Detection: A threat-detection tool looks over your network (or the cloud environment) to assess where you're vulnerable to an outsider. 
• Protect: A runtime application self-protection (RASP) tool that combines alerts and detections. These tools can even shut down the app itself in the middle of an attack. 

As new threats emerge and more companies invest in apps, it's likely new and better tools will be developed too.

Why Does Application Security Matter? 

An attack on your app can be absolutely devastating. For example, experts say a hacker inside your app could