#android security

[brainsden]

🛡️ Unpacking Application Security: Your Guide to a Safer Digital World 🌐

Almost every application we use has some kind of vulnerability. Well, it is scary and interesting. But what can we do about it? If we learn what application security is, and how to implement it better, the situation can improve. In this article, I will tell you all about it.

❓ What is Application Security? 🔒

Application security is the practice of protecting a software application from the inside out throughout its lifecycle. In other words, application security should be considered from the moment it is developed until its end of life. This will ensure that the application is as secure as possible at its core.

Did you know that 99% of security professionals say that production applications have at least some vulnerabilities? So, to improve this state, we need to learn more about application security and implement it as best we can. But what goes into securing an application? What should be done? How does it work and why is it so important? Let me explain this in more detail as you read on.

⚙️ How Does Application Security Work? 🛠️

Application security is also known as for AppSec in short. Technically, every nut and bolt of the software contributes to its security. For example, if an application is designed in such a way that only users with two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled can use its services. This way, the program will prevent any unauthorized access to accounts since every user will have 2FA enabled.

Such a software design should stop half of the cyber attacks that involve guessing passwords to gain control over online accounts. And yet, it sounds so simple to take care of this at the software development stage, right? Such software development concepts will allow users to not worry about being affected by traditional cyber attacks.

Important pain points to focus on when ensuring application security should be controlled data access, API protection, data protection, and securing the application to prevent any modifications by attackers.

Of course, things like following a cyber kill chain are certainly important for the fundamental security of an application, too. And a strong firewall is always a good idea. While all of this should ensure that the application is protected when it is deployed, it is also important to regularly perform security testing and patch vulnerabilities with updates.

To ensure that all of the basic requirements are met, AppSec must establish certain standards and controls with tools and solutions to ensure that the utmost care is taken when developing, testing, and deploying a software application. I will cover testing tools and solutions after we learn why application security is critical.

🔑 Why is Application Security Important? 🚨

Even if the servers or data centers are monitored, if the application is not secure, it opens the door for attackers to use various techniques to steal data or gain unauthorized access. For example, if the application code does not handle secure communication between the application and the cloud well, an attacker can take advantage of this to eavesdrop and extract important information.

Another example is when the software includes proprietary technology that is supposed to be secure. However, the code can be stolen by attackers, which can ultimately affect the business and its customers. What if a bug in the software suddenly creates a security issue?

Let’s not forget that in this day and age, a huge amount of data is involved in working with software. So, everything can be compromised or stolen without your knowledge. As a developer, you wouldn’t want your customer’s data to become a victim of identity theft, right?

I'll take that as a yes and add it to the list of reasons why app security is important. No matter from a business or user perspective, app security should help everyone.

👾 Different Types of Application Security Threats ⚠️

It will be helpful to know what threats you will be dealing with. Some of the most common threats to web applications include:

✅ SQL injection: 💉This is a fairly common and dangerous cyber threat. The target of this threat is your database. If successful, the attacker can modify or destroy your entire database. You need to prevent SQL injections to protect your database in such situations.

✅ XSS (Cross-site scripting): 📝Cross-site scripting, or XSS, is one of the popular injection attacks on web applications. It allows an attacker to add malicious scripts to a web page. This can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information and data leakage. Fortunately, you can easily detect XSS with some scanning tools like HIPAA Checker.

✅ CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery): 🔗Cross-Site Request Forgery uses access tokens stored in your browser to preserve your login session. Given that you are logged in, the attacker uses the token to provide you with a link to follow through social engineering.

✅ Broken authentication and session management: 🚫Similar to CSRF, this also refers to the lack of 2FA and session management in services. If a user cannot verify and control login sessions, it will be easier for an attacker to access the account without the user’s knowledge.

✅ Malware: 🦠You may download a version of your app that is infected with malware if you download the app from a source other than the official one. Customers should always be informed on how to properly download a malware free version of your app.

✅ Remote Code Execution: 💻Any unknown script or code used in an application without verification can help an attacker remotely gain control of the application.

✅ Incorrect security configuration: ⚙️Often, human error in configuring basic security features can lead to a security breach. No matter how many tools/features are active to protect an application, their configuration should be reviewed to ensure the security of the application.

✅ Phishing: 🎣An app may be completely safe, but an external link that is part of a phishing attack or scam could compromise user information. Therefore, warning your app users that links should be safe can help prevent this.

✅ Brute force attacks: 🤖A common cyber attack where a bot tries multiple combinations of a user ID and password to log into a service. If a user's password is easy to guess, they are vulnerable to a brute force attack. Therefore, the login process should be protected against multiple attempts and warn the user that they have set a weak password.Don't let weak passwords and brute-force attacks compromise your sensitive data. HIPAA Checker helps you identify and mitigate these vulnerabilities, protecting patient information from common cyber threats.Secure your practice today!

🔧 Tools and Solutions for Application Security 🧰

Various tools help in the process of securing applications. Some of the best, in my opinion, include:

✅ Web Application Firewall (WAF): 🔥A firewall automates cloud and data protection, ensuring that users can safely connect to the cloud. It provides comprehensive protection against cyber threats, known and unknown vulnerabilities, and more. There are many web application firewalls with various features.Depending on the feature set, prices for services vary. You can find an all-in-one solution that will protect you from threats, fix vulnerabilities, and perform all the necessary security actions for you. In either case, you can choose a firewall that gives you more control and the ability to set rules for the network.No matter the size of your business, you can’t go wrong with some popular options like Cloudflare and Sucuri WAF. I recommend you learn more about security features to understand what you need.

✅ Mobile Application Security Testing: 📱Mobile app security is non-negotiable in the digital age. Therefore, conducting tests to evaluate and find security vulnerabilities when running an app on mobile devices should help all types of users.Almost everything is going mobile. And for your customers, it is the first or most frequently used device. Therefore, if you prioritize mobile app security testing, you will be able to win your customers with the user experience you provide. There are various mobile app security scanners that will also help you in this process.In today's mobile-first world, your app's security is paramount. 👍 Don't risk your users' trust or their data. Our solution HIPAA Checker helps you identify and eliminate mobile app vulnerabilities, ensuring a seamless and secure experience that builds customer loyalty. Prioritize mobile security and win your customers today!

✅ Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): 🔄It is not enough to provide security for specific known issues or threats. Therefore, proactive security testing in the application should help you to learn about any issues as the application evolves. With DAST, simulated attacks are performed to find vulnerabilities and how the application responds to them. This allows you to easily prepare for protection against unknown threats with dynamic testing. A DAST solution not only provides proactive testing of end-to-end security, but also helps you easily check compliance with requirements.

✅ Static Application Security Testing (SAST): 📝If the code is poorly written, no other solution will be able to protect it from cybersecurity threats. Therefore, it is important to review the code that makes up the application using this methodology. Similarly, there are different security techniques for cloud-based applications, mobile applications, and browser-based applications. Depending on the type of application and the requirements, a company may decide to use countless tools to protect the application. Although both SAST and DAST are useful for improving application security.Poorly written code is a ticking time bomb. 👍Don't leave your application vulnerable to cyber threats from the start. Our Static Application Security Testing (SAST) solutions meticulously analyze your code for weaknesses, ensuring robust security from the ground up – whether it's for cloud, mobile, or browser-based applications. Strengthen your code, fortify your future. Discover our SAST solutions today!

✨ Benefits of Implementing Application Security 🌟

The obvious benefit is data security. But what exactly do businesses gain from application security?

✅ Build brand trust while keeping customer data safe: 🤝When a business suffers a data breach, you lose customers, and trust in them takes years to build. A prime example of this is the password manager. It was a popular service for many users. However, after it suffered a major data breach, users switched to other password managers. And if your business keeps your customers' data safe, users will have one less reason to think about switching to other services.

✅ Protection of confidential information: 🔐Beyond losing users, it is incredibly important to protect sensitive information if your business deals with it. If it is leaked, the information could be worth millions. Therefore, application security should help protect the value of important information.

✅ Give investors confidence: 💰While some companies may not have investors, most do. Investors should be impressed if your app has a solid security model. Even if they don’t fully trust your business idea, good app security practices can show them that you are responsible.Attract and retain investors by demonstrating your commitment to responsible business practices. A robust security model for your app isn't just about protecting data—it's about showcasing your diligence and reliability. Even the most skeptical investors will be impressed by your proactive approach to app security.Show them you're serious. Invest in your app's security today!

✅ Reduces software development support costs: 📉The fewer security issues your app has, the less maintenance it requires. Your team can focus on developing and improving features rather than dealing with security issues. Now let’s move on to the best practices to follow to ensure app security.

💡Application Security Best Practices

Application security should include a comprehensive set of principles and practices to ensure security. Some of the best practices to follow include:

✅ Threat Assessment: 🔍Knowing your threats makes it easier to protect yourself from them. Identifying and analyzing potential threats is one of the best ways to protect your business from cyber attacks.

✅ Monitoring known vulnerabilities: 📡You know about the threats you may face. But what about vulnerabilities discovered in the wild? You can monitor the CVE database or public vulnerability bulletin to stay up to date with exploits that could affect your application.

✅ Prioritize Solutions: 🎯Of course, we know that emerging security issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. But in what order? A lot can depend on this. So it’s best to prioritize solutions for issues that could impact the application and put your data at the greatest risk.

✅ Application Security Audits: 📊For every practice, a report makes it useful. You track progress, assess how well the process is going, and then make decisions to improve it. Likewise, you need to check whether app security is being implemented as it should be and how it improves the software.

🌟 Summing up 🔚

We need to secure the applications and services we use. However, how we approach securing them matters. If we follow all the ideal application security principles, we will have fewer vulnerabilities in production.

It is important to understand that there can never be zero security vulnerabilities, as cyber threats are constantly evolving to bypass them. Likewise, the concept of application security must evolve with them to be useful.

[squaredtechco]

🚨 Stop Dangerous Links Before They Stop You! Introducing URLCheck for Android 🔍

Clicking random links is like playing Russian roulette with your phone—malware, scams, and trackers could be hiding behind any URL. 😱 URLCheck is your ultimate shield!

🔹 Scan Before You Click! No more blind jumps—URLCheck intercepts links, reveals their true destination, and checks for threats. 🔹 Kill Hidden Trackers! Ever shared a link full of sneaky tracking tags? URLCheck strips them out, keeping your privacy locked down. 🔹 Virus Scanner = Extra Armor! (⚠️ Enable it!) Without it, some nasty links might slip through—so turn it on for max protection.

Don’t gamble with your security—get URLCheck now! 🛡️📲

[rightnewshindi]

गूगल ने प्ले स्टोर से हटाए 331 मालिशियस ऐप्स: वेपर ऑपरेशन से जुड़े थे, 6 करोड़ से ज्यादा डाउनलोड्स

Google removed 331 malicious apps from Play Store: अगर आपके स्मार्टफोन में कुछ खास ऐप्स इंस्टॉल हैं, तो आपकी सुरक्षा खतरे में हो सकती है। गूगल ने हाल ही में अपने प्ले स्टोर से 331 मालिशियस ऐप्स को हटा दिया है, जो फिशिंग कैंपेन और “वेपर ऑपरेशन” (Vapor Operation) का हिस्सा थे। इन ऐप्स ने चुनिंदा एंड्रॉयड वर्जन्स की सिक्योरिटी को बायपास करने की क्षमता रखी थी और इन्हें अब तक 6 करोड़ से ज्यादा बार…

[diagnozabam]

Google Play Protect 2025: Revocarea Automată a Permisiunilor și Noile Măsuri de Securitate Android

Google a anunțat pe 29 ianuarie 2025 mai multe măsuri noi pentru îmbunătățirea securității dispozitivelor Android. Printre cele mai importante schimbări se numără revocarea automată a permisiunilor aplicațiilor periculoase, protecția avansată împotriva aplicațiilor instalate din surse terțe și introducerea de insigne de verificare pentru aplicațiile oficiale guvernamentale și VPN-urile de…

[jininews]

NCERT Issues Advisory on Konfety Group’s Malicious Android Apps

The National Computer Emergency Response Team (nCERT) has recently alerted Android users worldwide about a significant threat posed by the Konfety Group. This malicious campaign, known as the “Konfety Apps” campaign, involved over 200 counterfeit applications on the Google Play Store designed to deceive users and exploit their devices. Although these apps have been removed, it is crucial to…

[techtrickz]

How to Enable Theft Protection Features on Your Android Phone

Google starting to add three new theft protection features to Android devices. Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock are the three new safety features currently rolling out. These new features are designed to help Android users better secure their devices and protect their personal information if their device is ever lost or stolen. All three theft protection features are…

[aakhirtak]

Google Theft Detection Lock: A New Security Step

Google Introduces New Security Features for Stolen Devices Google has launched new security features to prevent thieves from accessing stolen Android devices. These include Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock, enhancing user data protection. Imagine you’re walking down the street when suddenly someone snatches your phone. In that moment, your phone is gone, and you worry…

[mobileshark]

Google Theft Protection For Android devices: How to Protect Your Data

Losing your smartphone is more than just a nuisance; it can expose your personal data, including sensitive information like banking details, photos, and contacts, to unauthorized access. To combat this growing concern, Google is making significant advancements in theft protection for Android devices. The newest security measures introduced by Google aim to safeguard user data more effectively in…

[octomotts]

Hey, I just wanted to make a post for the android users who just did a security update. If you go on YouTube and find that your app has been put in restricted mode, heres two ways to fix it. 1) Go to your profile on YouTube and click the cog wheel in the top right corner. Scroll down and check to see if restricted mode has been turned on. If it has and the slider isn't t grayed out, click it, and that should fix it. 2) If the slider is grayed out, here is what you do. Go to your android settings and scroll down to security and privacy. Scroll down to more security settings and click it, then scroll until you find android safe browsing. Click that, then look for use live threat protection and turn it off that should turn off the restricted mode on YouTube. To check, follow the first way.

[jcmarchi]

Alarming Privacy and Security Threats in Smart Homes Revealed - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-in-smart-homes-revealed-technology-org/

Alarming Privacy and Security Threats in Smart Homes Revealed - Technology Org

A group of researchers from several international universities and research centres analyze the local network interactions of smart home  IoT devices and mobile apps, and demonstrate that a variety of security and privacy threats exist. 

An international team of researchers, led by IMDEA Networks and Northeastern University in collaboration with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, IMDEA Software, University of Calgary, and the International Computer Science Institute, has unveiled groundbreaking findings on the security and privacy challenges posed by the ever-growing prevalence of opaque and technically complex Internet of Things (IoT) devices in smart homes.

Smart home control interface – illustrative photo. Image credit: DCStudio via Freepik, free license

Smart Homes: Trusted and Secure Environments?

Smart homes are becoming increasingly interconnected, comprising consumer-oriented IoT devices ranging from smartphones and smart TVs to virtual assistants and CCTV cameras. These devices have cameras, microphones, and other ways of sensing what is happening in our most private spaces—our homes.

An important question is, can we trust that these devices in our homes are safely handling and protecting the sensitive data they have access to?

“When we think of what happens between the walls of our homes, we think of it as a trusted, private place. In reality, we find that smart devices in our homes are piercing that veil of trust and privacy—in ways that allow nearly any company to learn what devices are in your home, to know when you are home, and learn where your home is. These behaviours are generally not disclosed to consumers, and there is a need for better protections in the home,” said David Choffnes, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Executive Director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University.

The research team’s extensive study, titled “In the Room Where It Happens: Characterizing Local Communication and Threats in Smart Homes,” was presented this week at the ACM Internet Measurement Conference (ACM IMC’23) in Montreal (Canada).

The paper delves for the first time into the intricacies of local network interactions between 93 IoT devices and mobile apps, revealing a plethora of previously undisclosed security and privacy concerns with actual real-world implications.

While most users typically view local networks as a trusted and safe environment, the study’s findings illuminate new threats associated with the inadvertent exposure of sensitive data by IoT devices within local networks using standard protocols such as UPnP or mDNS.

These threats include the exposure of unique device names, UUIDs, and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by companies involved in surveillance capitalism without user awareness.

According to Vijay Prakash, PhD student from NYU Tandon who co-authored the paper, “analysing the data collected by IoT Inspector, we found evidence of IoT devices inadvertently exposing at least one PII (Personally Identifiable Information), like unique hardware address (MAC), UUID, or unique device names, in thousands of real world smart homes.

Any single PII is useful for identifying a household, but combining all three of them together makes a house very unique and easily identifiable. For comparison, if a person is fingerprinted using the simplest browser fingerprinting technique, they are as unique as one in 1.500 people. If a smart home with all three types of identifiers is fingerprinted, it is as unique as one in 1.12 million smart homes.”

These local network protocols can be employed as side-channels to access data that is supposedly protected by several mobile app permissions such as household locations. “A side channel is a sneaky way of indirectly accessing sensitive data.

For example, Android app developers are supposed to request and obtain users’ consent to access data like geolocation. However, we have shown that certain spyware apps and advertising companies do abuse local network protocols to silently access such sensitive information without any user awareness.

All they have to do is kindly asking for it to other IoT devices deployed in the local network using standard protocols like UPnP.”, said Narseo Vallina-Rodriguez, Associate Research Professor of IMDEA Networks and co-founder of AppCensus.

“Our study shows that the local network protocols used by IoT devices are not sufficiently protected and expose sensitive information about the home and the use we make of the devices. This information is being collected in an opaque way and makes it easier to create profiles of our habits or socioeconomic level,” adds Juan Tapiador, professor at UC3M.

The Wider Implications

The impact of this research extends far beyond academia. The findings underscore the imperative for manufacturers, software developers, IoT and mobile platform operators, and policymakers to take action to enhance the privacy and security guarantees of smart home devices and households.

The research team responsibly disclosed these issues to vulnerable IoT device vendors and to Google’s Android Security Team, already triggering security improvements in some of these products.

Source: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[thehomophobe]

Sitting On Their Lap 😌

Freddy 🐻: You're well-acquainted with sitting on Freddy's lap. The heated silicon acted as a warm cushion for your bottom. The manufacturers made his thighs pretty plush despite his muscular form. Freddy likes to place you on his lap after shows or after anything for that matter. Freddy is a busy man as he is the face of the Pizzaplex. Once things die down, Freddy loves to unwind with you. Your smaller form cradled into his large hands as the two of you chat. All in all, he loves holding you in his lap.

Chica 🐔: While she's deemed the smallest of the gang, she's still taller than you. I said it before in the "Making Out" headcanons, but I'll say it again: Chica's 5'9, you're 5'6. And God does she love using your height as an excuse to baby you. She practically abuses the height difference. Pinch your cheeks and pat your head whilst she giggles and calls you cute. That also means an excuse for lap-sitting. Where Chica plops you into her lap and plays with your hair, squawking about whatever is generated in her motherboard. Sometimes before a show, she has you in her lap while she does her makeup to have one final chat before she hits the stage. Her thighs are so soft and squishy; they make the perfect pillow. Overall, best lap to sit on.

Monty 🐊: Physical affection is his love language, so of course, Monty's hands are around you somewhere some time. From a hand on your hip to just straight up carrying you over the shoulder. No matter the body type, Monty fucking loves holding you. Lap-sitting is very common with the caiman man. (cai-man i need to fucking stop) Most commonly after a show where he unwinds with you on his meaty thighs making out in his green room with the curtains closed and the lights hazy. Sometimes when he's not feeling feisty, he just places you on his lap and holds you for comfort. He'll play a little tune on his bass whilst your head rests on his chest to lull you to sleep.

Roxy 🐺: Lap sitting always includes a free makeover and juicy gossip. You're sitting in front of her vanity whilst her nails comb through your hair and style it on a whim. Will also do her makeup before a show with you on her lap. Her thighs are meaty, but a little soft, and her boobs make the best pillow ever. You'll just stuff your face into her breasts just to rouse her. (She's gonna maim you one way or the other ~) 

Sun 🌞: Expect not a lot of lap sitting. I know, I know, you want to sit on his lap ALL THE TIME, but the dude has to run around the daycare all day to monitor all the children at once. Very little time you get to be in his lap; only a fraction of downtime is when you'll be in his lap comfortably. Although, he's more likely to crawl into your lap out of exhaustion and touch deprivation. He'll probably sleep on you depending on his battery life. When you're in his lap, you two are probably doing arts & crafts together. The tiny chairs are highly uncomfortable, so you eschew sitting on them. Sun's lap is the better option; a heated chest and soft, thin thighs to sit on. You'll never see it with your height difference, but it's obvious that he's flustered about your position. His face is a vibrant red and his fans are whirling faster than a turbine. Oh look, he's stuttering. I-It's just...you look so cute! You're so small compared to him! Even your hands disappear into his hands. He's gonna combust any minute now.

Moon 🌚: Expect lots of lap sitting. Comfort is king for Moon; he was LITERALLY built for this. Unlike Sun, who bouncing around the daycare all day, Moon merely meanders around the sleeping children making sure they're sleeping soundly. Once the final child is put to rest, you and Moon snuggle up against each other. HIs thighs are cold. A cooling cold, not a shivering cold. His legs too are thin, but more meaty and tender than Sun's. Claw-like fingers scratch your head like a scalp massager as soft whispers of sweet-nothing coo your ears, melting you into a dream-like state. Pull up a blanket and get comfy, you deserve this long night's rest.

[dracofagboy]

Very smooth Kate Bishop

[anglerflsh]

Allegory of Progress

[pushing500]

The Sightstealer Saga: Part 1

It had been a regular day at Sparks; everybody was going about their chores as usual, with no way to guess the turn the day was about to take...

Boop, one of our cleansweeper mechanoids, was suddenly attacked by a terrifying figure that appeared as if from nowhere!! Fortunately, Boop recalled the many tales of Stabby the Roomba that it had heard and managed to "sweep the floor"—if you'll excuse the pun—with its sightstealer foe before limping back to the safety of our main walled-in area to be repaired.

Boop's heroic victory was seen as a declaration of war to all sightstealers nearby, but despite their knack for turning invisible, they were not very good at sneaking up on us and screamed hideous war cries so everybody knew they were coming.

Hopefully, we don't acquire an unexpected newborn from this sightstealer attack. We love Ivy to bits, but one adopted child is enough; thank you very much. Hear that, Randy? No new colonists!

*sigh* I suppose that's what I get for tempting fate...

Alistair was quick, but not quiiite quick enough to avoid a few claw-slashes on his arm. It's tricky for him to fight while running and also carrying a fifteen-year-old boy with the most impeccably groomed facial hair I've ever seen on anybody under thirty-five.

In the end, though, Alistair and Ludwig made it inside safely, and everybody ignored Ludwig in favour of welding Alistair back together first. Still, it doesn't sound like the ordeal is over yet. We've sealed the gates and holed up for a sightstealer siege. Stay tuned for The Sightstealer Saga Part Two!!

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