Mobile apps are an integral part of how people use their smartphones and tablets. The security of mobile commerce apps has been a major concern for both businesses and consumers. People are more alert about what their mobile devices are visiting, where they're going, and who they are with. Because of this heightened sensitivity, companies should put in place measures to ensure that people's private information is protected from theft or other harm. In this article, learn some of the ways that you can properly secure your mobile commerce app.
Session Controls
One of the ways to secure your mobile commerce app is to make the app available only to users who have the correct personal and financial information. Many mobile app stores, such as Google Play, take security precautions to ensure that only those who are authorized can use the app and apps. This is typically done by using verification codes or by requiring users to enroll in a secure account before accessing the app. You can also use session controls, such as timeout policies, logout requests, certificates, and security protocols to further enhance your session controls to keep user data safe.
Users might be annoyed that they get logged out of an app after 15 minutes of inactivity, but it does a lot to keep them safe and prevent unintended purchases. If a mobile commerce app does not have these session controls in place, it is possible that fraudulent purchases can be made while the app is unsecured. The customer might demand a refund for these purchases at the cost of the retailer, or the bank might require reimbursement from the company. Either of these scenarios put the retailer at risk financially, so investing in better session controls is an effective solution for both parties.
Biometrics
Biometrics is basically a series of characteristics that are unique to an individual. It includes physical traits like eye and hair color, gender, age, nationality, and fingerprint. There are various ways to secure your mobile commerce app with biometrics, as long as the device that users have access to supports it. Nearly all mobile devices have cameras that can take pictures of users holding the phone with a front-facing camera. Not all smartphones and tablets currently have fingerprint readers available.
Biometric systems are designed to collect and store data about individuals. However, not all biometric technologies are the same; in fact, there is no specific technology that could be universally called biometrics. Rather, all biometric systems are collections of physical characteristics that can provide security and authentication to protect individuals from security threats. If you have a face recognition system, voice recognition system, or fingerprint reader on one of your devices, this is an example of biometrics.
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is the most secure and reliable way of ensuring that the users are protected from fraudulent transactions on your Website, on a web server, application, or web application hosting site. With two-factor authentication, you are ensuring complete security for the users by forcing them to log-in and authenticate their session two ways. For instance, a password and then entering a code sent via text message to an associated and verified account. This will prevent hacking into your customer database, or unauthorized access to your customer's files, and also from misuse by external parties such as spammers, identity thieves, or even government intelligence agencies.
Secure Payment Gateways
Secure payment gateways are very important as they help you increase the efficiency of your business and reduce any fraudulent use of the mobile payment platform. These are usually implemented by the companies who offer secured payment gateways and make sure that your customers do not have problems during the payment process and that the data is safely sent to the main server.
The most important thing about a secure gateway is that they help you to secure your mobile commerce app and any mobile app related to your business. Today, almost all mobile operating systems support secured data transfers and there are several secure data transfer protocols available which you can choose according to your needs. The most important part of these secured data transfers is that they protect the privacy of the users and also make sure that the transaction is safe and secure.
Mobile app security is critical in keeping your app safe, functional, and available to customers through mobile app stores. It can be a time-consuming process that requires expertise and an ongoing awareness of evolving security threats. Having a reliable technology partner capable of managing your mobile apps can make a difference. Contact KitelyTech at (800) 274 2908 for more information about our mobile app security services.
