How OutSystems AppShield enhances application security

Security has always been a critical concern for enterprises. And it becomes even more significant when it comes to web and mobile applications. In building and launching applications, business owners often need to remember that one of the most fundamental aspects of creating applications is ensuring complete protection and data security. According to a survey, around 98% of mobile apps are not secure.

As cybercrimes continue to grow, ensuring the complete security of your mobile application, its assets, and data is more important than ever. As incidents around data hacking continue to grow, enterprise applications suffer from unexpected downtime, data vulnerability, and intellectual property theft, ultimately hampering your enterprise’s reputation. More importantly, such data breaches can result in hefty fines as per data privacy laws such as GDPR, OWASP, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and PSD2. Hence, securing mobile applications will put your business in a much safer spot in today’s competitive industry.

To help you build and safeguard mobile applications with low-code development, OutSystems offers AppShield as a security component. Let’s dive deep into the blog and understand how AppShield enables you to develop safe and secure mobile applications.

What is OutSystems AppShield?

In today’s digital transformation ecosystem, it’s not just the tech stack that is evolving and improving, but also the entire setup around hacking and cyber crimes. AppShield, an additional cost add-on from OutSystems, secures your applications by automatically adding additional layers of security during app deployment, thus making your apps resilient and resistant to intrusion, tampering, and reverse engineering. OutSystems AppShield makes it impossible for hackers and cybercriminals to tamper against security control or inject malicious code during run-time and rest-time for data hacking.

• For IT leaders, AppShield delivers secure applications that reduce potential risks and avoid regulatory fines.
• For developers, AppShield reduces the manual coding work, valuable development time, and skill needed to produce more secure applications.
• For business, AppShield helps protect company data leaks and other mobile application shielding protection issues that can affect brand reputation.

The features of OutSystems AppShield

OutSystems AppShield features support your software development lifecycle (SDLC) to continuously monitor the latest security attack methodologies. The following are the main features of OutSystems AppShield, currently available for Android and iOS operating systems.

#1. Root detection

When hackers unlock or hack your devices to access controls it is referred to as rooting. Hackers often root devices to access sensitive information and other secrets stored in your mobile phones. Root detection informs you know if this is the case. Root Detection in AppShield keeps apps safe and gives freedom to choose how and when your device responds to a rooting scenario. The protection available for iOS applications includes jailbreak detection, just like root detection.

#2. Repackaging detection

Repackaging is when attackers obtain a copy of your app’s source code, add malicious functions, and redistribute it to users. Repackaging detection through OutSystems AppShield allows you to protect your app against such issues.

#3. Code obfuscation

Code obfuscation is the process of modification of executable code so that it is not available for comprehension or hacking. With OutSystems AppShield, you can implement obfuscation to make your source code intricate, preventing hackers from accessing it. This technique acts as a defense mechanism against hacking attempts and guards applications.

#4. Code Injection protection

Code injection is a technique that allows a hacker to add his arbitrary code to be executed by the application. Attackers can take advantage of user inputs to take complete control of your app and execute commands as they wish. Code injection by OutSystems AppShield helps you block these attacks and stop hackers from making your app perform functions you never intended.

#5. Debugger protection

To hack an app, debugging is the most common technique, which lets hackers get to the build of your app. Debugger protection prevents hackers from using this troubleshooting software against mobile apps.

#6. Keylogger protection

A keylogger is a software that lets you track and record what users are typing on their keyboard. Cybercriminals can use them to capture sensitive data like passwords and account numbers to commit fraud. Keylogger protection from OutSystems AppShield prevents them from stealing data from under your fingertips.

#7. Screenshot protection

With OutSystems AppShield screenshot protection, you can protect your app from malware that sends screenshots of personal information or your digital wallets to hackers.

#8. Emulator detection

Emulator detection is the ability to tell when your application is running on another device rather than an actual device used by hackers for entering into your apps. Emulator detection from OutSystems AppShield can let you know if your emulator is putting your app at risk.

What risks does OutSystems AppShield address and why employ it?

The Open Web Application Security Project, or OWASP, is an international non-profit organization for web application security. OWASP’s top 10 security risks are put together by a team of security experts worldwide. OutSystems AppShield addresses a few of them; let’s have a look :

#1. Broken authentication and access controls

Unguarded authentication systems can give hackers access to user accounts and even the ability to compromise an entire system. If an app doesn’t set these standards, it’s a security risk, according to OWASP. Therefore, if an app is run on a rooted or jailbroken device or through an emulator, AppShield provides an extra layer of security.

#2. Injections and cross-site scripting

When untrusted and unauthenticated data interrupts your code or an attacker adds custom code to your URL path, it can result in all sorts of issues with your mobile applications. The most common are SQL and XML injections. OutSystems generates your code so you can ensure the code is up to standard. AppShield includes code injection protection, repackaging detection, verification of the application signature, and blocks debugger and emulator access.

#3. Sensitive data exposure

Web applications must protect sensitive information like financial transactions, passwords, and account information. This can be minimized by encrypting all sensitive information and disabling data storage. AppShield blocks the copying of local data, includes proper data encryption, and repackaging protection, and ensures security mechanisms can’t be removed from your app.

#4. Code tampering and mobile security

Attackers will exploit code modification via malicious code of the third-party app or phishing attacks. Through OutSystems AppShield, you can prevent code tampering as it stops attackers with root, jailbreak and repackaging detection. Also, it blocks hackers from accessing debuggers and emulators to find entry points.

Is OutSystems AppShield right for my organization?

If your web application needs to store sensitive user data like financial numbers, personal information, and passwords, then OuTsystems AppShield becomes a must-have implementation. OutSystems AppShield provides an extra layer of security, prevents data leakage from compromised devices, and maintains the app’s integrity and security.

Moreover, if your enterprise or mobile application deals with the following data, then OutSystems AppShield will strengthen the security and protection prospects of your application with extensive security layers and safeguard user information.

• B2B or B2E mobile applications with sensitive data
• Subject to security or privacy regulations
• Industries like banking or financial services, healthcare, or insurance

Build secure applications with OutSystems AppShield and Ranosys

To succeed in the digital world, building safe applications is an essential to protect enterprise data and discourage hackers. OutSystems AppShield addresses all the security concerns of modern applications to safeguard sensitive data subject to privacy regulations. Repackaging, code injection, and other best practices of OutSystems AppShield keep your application secure and safe. At Ranosys, we have assisted several enterprises to shield their apps. Connect with our certified low-code experts to gain a deeper understanding of OutSystems AppShield and its business value for your enterprises.