A Guide to Mobile Application Security Testing for Android and iOS
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03 May, 2025, 8 min read
Imagine waking up to discover that your customers’ data has been stolen—the sensitive data you worked so hard to collect, update, and store. Data breaches have become all too common, and their consequences can be severe, as seen in real-world incidents like the Kink and LGBT dating apps data breaches, where millions of users’ personal data was exposed due to insufficient security measures.
App downloads are going up every year, and there were 110 billion downloads in 2024 alone! If your organization has an app, it’s vital to understand the unique security vulnerabilities of mobile apps and address them.
Security testing plays a vital role in protecting your organization's most valuable information. This blog takes a deeper look at mobile application security testing, its importance, best practices, and best approaches.
Mobile application security testing involves simulating real-world attacks and addressing security vulnerabilities. For effective testing, you must first understand the application’s purpose and the data types it handles.
A combination of security testing methods is used for mobile applications, including penetration testing, static analysis, and dynamic analysis. This helps developers identify vulnerabilities that would be missed if only one technique was used.
Mobile application security is a lot like home security, which focuses on different aspects for effectiveness. Home security involves protecting doors, windows, and other sensitive areas, whereas mobile app security involves secure coding practices, encryption, and regular updates to address vulnerabilities and prevent malicious actors from accessing the app.
Mobile application security testing ensures that security features work as expected and helps developers discover edge cases that expose unique vulnerabilities or bugs. It covers both code and configuration issues to ensure flaws are discovered before going live.
Testing apps to assess their security posture prevents vulnerabilities from making their way to production. Developers typically use a combination of application security testing techniques to improve the overall security of their applications. Here are the most common mobile application security testing methods:
The static name used here indicates that testing happens without executing the code itself. SAST analyzes an application's source code to identify vulnerabilities before the application runs. Developers can resolve security flaws early in the software development lifecycle to reduce costs and improve software quality.
Unlike SAST, DAST examines an application's security while it’s running. You can simulate real-world attacks to identify and address security risks. The mobile app testing method ensures that applications are secure in a real-world environment by detecting runtime flaws, such as those caused by server misconfigurations or input validation.
IAST combines both SAST and DAST. A developer embeds sensors in the application's runtime environment to analyze its behavior during execution, gaining insights into both static code vulnerabilities and dynamic runtime issues. IAST ensures security issues are identified and fixed early in the development process, minimizing development costs and delays.
Penetration testing simulates real-world attacks to identify vulnerabilities. It involves human input; an ethical hacker uses different methods to break into an app and identify weaknesses before hackers exploit them. Penetration testing exposes actionable and realistic threats. It shows exactly how weaknesses can be exploited in real-world scenarios.
This security testing process uses vulnerability scanners to identify weaknesses that can be exploited by malicious actors. The tools scan networks, systems, and applications, checking against a record of common vulnerabilities and their characteristics. They can easily detect missed loopholes in application code. Potential attack vectors and risk exposures are reported to the developers or the quality assurance (QA) team, helping organizations prioritize remediation efforts.
This mobile application security testing method focuses on identifying and mitigating risks associated with open-source third-party software. SCA tools automate the process of identifying, analyzing, and assessing components within a codebase. They can flag outdated libraries, highlight software supply chain weaknesses, and reveal licensing issues.
RASP tools embed security code into applications in their runtime environment to identify and stop attacks as they happen. They provide granular control over application behavior, effectively mitigating security threats. RASP is great at securing applications that operate in high-risk environments where real-time protection is critical.
This technique evaluates the critical aspects of an app’s API by examining its endpoints, error handling, authentication, rate limiting, input validation, and other security aspects to address weaknesses. APIs are used in many tech stacks as they allow applications to share data and use functionalities easily. Testing helps identify loopholes and risks hackers might exploit.
This testing method identifies weaknesses within database systems, such as weak authentication, misconfigurations, unpatched database versions, and insecure user permissions. It’s most useful before deployment and after significant updates as it identifies and addresses vulnerabilities, protecting sensitive user data and ensuring compliance.
This mobile application security testing method assesses the security of cloud-native applications, their components, and their interactions. It involves SAST, DAST, and runtime monitoring to address vulnerabilities before or during deployment. It’s used for apps that leverage cloud technologies for deployment and operation, such as containerization, microservices, and cloud-based infrastructure.
Android app security testing differs from iOS app security testing because the two platforms have different operating system architectures, app store security, and levels of fragmentation. Here are the security techniques for both:
To ensure your Android apps are secure before deployment, follow these steps:
Follow this step-by-step testing process to build secure iOS apps:
A structured approach can help you identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in your mobile app before it is deployed. You protect user data, app integrity, and comply with industry standards. Here’s an overview of the mobile application testing process:
Applying best practices for mobile app security testing helps protect users and organizations from cyber threats, ensures compliance, and maintains user trust. Here are five best practices:
Mobile applications are prime targets for cyberattacks because of their broad user base. Without mobile application security, malicious actors can inject malware, access sensitive data, and steal intellectual property. Organizations should apply effective testing strategies to build more resilient applications.
Prioritizing mobile app security is vital for regulatory compliance and upholding your business reputation. Implement mobile app security best practices to mitigate security risks.
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This depends on an application's risk profile. Quarterly testing is ideal for applications handling sensitive data or operating in high-risk environments. Testing should also be conducted after any major updates or changes.
No, while automation offers speed and consistency, manual testing helps developers understand the context of vulnerabilities, explore edge cases, and make nuanced decisions. Combine both methods for the most comprehensive security testing.
Testing typically takes 1 to 2 weeks for a standard application. Highly complex apps or those with specific security requirements might require more time, up to several weeks.
Yes, because DevSecOps integrates security into the entire development lifecycle, ensuring mobile apps are more secure and protect user data