Winning isn’t in the cards for this one. Over the past few years, both prominent brands and startups have fallen victim to hacking. What’s most alarming is that these breaches could have been executed by individuals with basic knowledge of Application and Network Security.
These security breaches have raised a pressing question: just how secure are our web and mobile applications today? It’s essential to acknowledge that, in the race to launch products quickly, many companies compromise on Quality Assurance and Testing. For numerous internet firms, where time-to-market is paramount, quality assurance often becomes an afterthought.
This isn’t the first instance of data compromise in mobile apps or websites. A study conducted in 2013 analyzed 230 top apps from third-party sources outside the Apple App Store and Google Play marketplaces, including the top 100 paid apps on Android and iOS. Among paid apps, 92% of iOS apps were found to be hacked, compared to 100% on the Google Android platform. However, the statistics were slightly better for popular free iOS apps, with 40% being hacked, while free apps on the Android platform fared worse at 80%. Shockingly, more than 75% of websites are never subjected to security vulnerability testing.
Companies such as Premera Blue Cross, Anthem, Sony, U.S. Postal Service, Staples, Kmart, Home Depot, JP Morgan, Target, and P.F. Chang’s have all fallen victim to recent hacks.
So, what can be done to avoid the embarrassment of a security breach?
- Embed Security in Your Code: Ensure that your developers and architects prioritize security during coding. Employ static-testing tools like Kiuwan to identify flaws in your product during development.
- Educate Your Customers: Communicate the significance of security to your customers and how it impacts their business. Many software development firms overlook security, focusing primarily on UI/UX and functionality. Incorporate security testing into your organization’s test strategy.
- Allocate Budget for Testing: CIOs and CTOs should allocate budget for quality assurance (QA). Understand that QA is an integral part of software development, not just a ritual. Prevention is cheaper than cure; the cost of preventing a defect is significantly less than fixing it after a breach. Ignoring QA can lead to severe consequences, including identity theft and damaged brand reputation.
- Test Before Launch: Invest in QA and software testing services before launching your applications. While it incurs costs, it’s a proactive measure to prevent data breaches and potential lawsuits.
Remember, ignorance can be costly. Hire a QA consulting firm, get educated, or risk learning the hard way.” While
In summary, the article raises awareness about the growing threat of hacking, particularly in the context of web and mobile applications. It emphasizes the need for organizations to prioritize security in their development processes, educate their customers, allocate budgets for testing, and proactively address security concerns to avoid potential disasters associated with data breaches.
(Note: This post was originally published in DataQuest in 2015.)
