What is Application Security?
Application security refers to the process of protecting applications from threats and unauthorized access throughout their lifecycle. With the popularity and sheer volume of client-side applications (ranging from mobile apps to web-based software) securing these apps in the wild has become a critical priority. Unlike server-side applications, client-side apps operate in environments beyond the control of their creators, exposing them to threats like reverse engineering, tampering, and unauthorized data access.
Digital.ai Application Security provides a comprehensive solution to these complex security challenges faced by organizations, focusing on advanced protection mechanisms to secure application integrity and confidentiality.
This topic identifies some generic application security concepts, and also describes features that are available in Digital.ai Application Security.
Advanced Code Obfuscation
Our primary defense mechanism involves sophisticated code obfuscation techniques. Code obfuscation involves deliberately making the source code of a program difficult to understand, thereby making it more difficult for people who have reverse-engineered your app to read your app’s code.
This technique is especially vital for applications that handle sensitive data, financial transactions, or proprietary algorithms. By transforming the code into a more complex and less readable form, you can create an additional layer of security that thwarts attempts to analyze and exploit code. This ensures that your application logic remains protected, even in uncontrolled environments.
Robust Anti-Tampering Mechanisms
In addition to obfuscation, our solution incorporates robust anti-tampering mechanisms designed to detect and respond to two critical conditions:
- Execution of the application in unsafe environments, such as debuggers, emulators, or rooted/jailbroken devices.
- Unauthorized modifications to the application code.
These anti-tamper protections can be integrated either on-premises during the build process or via our cloud-based services, providing flexible deployment options to meet diverse security requirements.
White-box Cryptography
Digital.ai's Key and Data Protection solution secures data in transit by safeguarding encryption and decryption keys within mobile and desktop apps using advanced white-box cryptography.
- This technique blends app code and keys to protect cryptographic operations, ensuring hardcoded keys cannot be extracted, and supports all major ciphers, modes, and key sizes.
- Interoperates with other cryptographic packages like OpenSSL without requiring server-side changes.
- In addition to supporting all major algorithms and modes, Digital.ai Key and Data Protection is the only white-box cryptography security product that is validated to meet FIPS 140-3 security requirements.
To learn more about our white-box cryptography solution, see What is White-box Cryptography?.
Customized Protection
We transform your unprotected code into a highly secure format using a detailed protection blueprint:
- Customizable Blueprint: Tailor your protection to meet your specific needs, and ensures the protected code maintains its original functionality while becoming virtually indecipherable to threat actors.
- Auto-Configuration: Use a pre-configured blueprint for rapid and efficient code obfuscation without extensive customization.
Protected Output Variation
Digital.ai Application Security uses a variable (the protection seed) that can be specified by you or randomly generated each time protection is applied:
- Unique output with each run, even though the program's behavior remains unchanged.
- Randomization serves as a powerful deterrent to attackers, forcing them to continually analyze new code.
Comprehensive Visibility and Alerting
Digital.ai Application Security offers extensive visibility into security incidents:
- App Aware: Our in-house reporting system that generates detailed alerts including information on the device, operating system, browser, IP address, geographic location, and other pertinent data.
- Enables rapid and informed responses to security threats.
To learn more about gaining visibility into your security, see App Aware.
End User Perspectives
Understanding the differing perspectives of app users is crucial:
- Typical: The majority of end users who utilize off-the-shelf devices and applications. These individuals are generally uninterested in the inner workings of software and are unlikely to modify even basic settings, such as the default user interface.
- Curious: An individual who jailbreaks or roots their mobile device to access non-standard applications. While they seek to explore beyond the limitations of standard software, they are not typically engaged in fraudulent activities against customers or consumers.
- Inquisitive: A person who employs tools to analyze applications, uncover APIs, extract secrets, and manipulate the app. This level of scrutiny indicates a deeper interest in the application's functionality and potential vulnerabilities.
- Threatening: An individual utilizing an application that has been altered or tampered with. Regardless of their intent, this user poses a significant risk to an organization. They may have unknowingly downloaded the app from an untrusted source or intentionally modified it. In either scenario, organizations must implement defensive measures to mitigate potential threats.
Seamless Integration with DevSecOps
As an integral component of Digital.ai's AI-powered DevSecOps platform, these security measures are designed to integrate seamlessly into the application development lifecycle.
This ensures that security enhancements do not impede development velocity or application performance, while effectively preventing applications from being exploited as vectors for intellectual property theft, data breaches, or revenue loss.
By implementing Digital.ai Application Security, organizations can achieve a high level of application hardening, safeguarding their digital assets and maintaining operational integrity.