Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Did you know you're carrying a secret superhero around in your pocket? Introducing: Your smartphone.

The OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG) and the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS) are two vital resources that have been instrumental in reshaping the landscape of mobile app security. Developed by cybersecurity experts, the MASTG is an elaborate manual that describes the technicalities for meeting the security requirements listed in the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS).

Your mobile apps are your business's face to the world. As an app creator or business owner, credibility is everything, and security is the cornerstone upon which it stands. Now, with the digital ecosystem being highly susceptible to breaches, even a single slip in security can shatter the trust your users have in your brand, tarnishing the hard-earned credibility of your business. This is why mobile app security is key to your business’s growth.

In 2022, Twitter suffered a massive data breach, which exposed the personal data of 5.4 million caused by broken authentication. Threat actors exploited Twitter's API vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to users' sensitive personal data. The incident resulted in reputational loss and hefty fines from the regulatory body for failing to protect users' data. This shows that no organization, regardless of size, is immune to data breaches.

In 2017, Equifax, a major American credit bureau, became a cautionary tale in the importance of robust cybersecurity practices. It overlooked critical vulnerabilities in its systems, failing to address a known security flaw in its Apache Struts web app framework. This oversight resulted in the data leak of 143 million customers, costing Equifax $1.38 billion in making breach compensations and upgrading its IT systems.

While working towards a mission of building better, more secure mobile applications, the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has spearheaded this effort with the Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS) and the Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG). These invaluable resources provide a comprehensive framework for safeguarding your mobile apps, ensuring trust, and protecting user data.

Mobile devices at the workplace: this so-called trend is here to stay. In response, IT teams are recognizing their responsibility to develop a secure and high-performance operating environment for their mobile and remote workforce. Mobile-related security risks have increased to astronomical levels in the last year: All that to say: a true organizational security posture cannot ignore the mobile apps and devices that its employees and customers use.

Trustwave SpiderLabs tested a couple of Android OS-based mobile devices to conduct the research on privilege escalation scenarios. Specifically, we wanted to show a straightforward process attackers may use to exploit vulnerabilities in an Android device’s system services and systems. The testing revealed that, in some cases, exploiting the issues we found were very easy.