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The 2025 Mobile App Security Checklist for iOS & Android

Secure the source code

  • Code access control with least privilege; protected branches and mandatory reviews.
  • Static analysis and secret scanning integrated into CI/CD; block merges on high‑severity findings.
  • Developer workstation hygiene and DLP for repositories and build artifacts.
  • Dependency and supply chain hygiene (lock versions, monitor).
  • Use dedicated secrets management tools (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or GitHub Secrets) instead of storing secrets in .env files or configuration files.
  • Secure build artifacts in artifact repositories, control who can access, and promote builds to production.
  • No hardcoded secrets, no insecure crypto defaults, consistent code review coverage.

Authentication (MFA) and session security

  • Multi‑factor authentication, with a preference for app‑based or push‑based factors over SMS where possible.
  • Account lockout and step‑up authentication for sensitive actions.
  • Session hygiene: short‑lived tokens, secure storage for refresh tokens, and robust logout/rotation flows.
  • OTP reuse protections, consistent lockout thresholds, and resistance to brute force and replay.

Encrypt communications end‑to‑end (TLS + certificate pinning)

  • Enforce modern TLS; disallow plaintext endpoints and protocol downgrades.
  • Implement SSL/TLS certificate pinning to reduce MITM risk on untrusted networks.
  • Validate all certificates and fail closed on verification errors.
  • No mixed content or fallback to insecure transports; planned pin rotation and an emergency unpin path.

Pentesting and continuous security testing

  • Blend automated scanning with expert‑led manual testing for business logic flaws.
  • Include mobile-specific attack vectors: side-channel attacks (timing), memory dumps, local privilege escalation, and inter-process communication (IPC) exploits.
  • Include tests for app-specific features like deep linking, custom URL schemes, and intent handlers (Android) to identify authorization bypass or data leakage.
  • Include brute forcing, fuzzing, and injection testing that reflect real attacker behavior.
  • Treat findings as backlog items with fix SLAs; re‑test and capture evidence of closure.
  • Test coverage across authentication, session management, storage, API calls, and client‑side protections.

API security governance

  • Maintain an inventory of all mobile‑consumed APIs with documentation and owners.
  • Enforce strong authentication and authorization; apply the principle of least privilege (PoLP).
  • Add mediation (gateway policies), rate limiting, input validation, and consistent logging/monitoring.
  • Prevention of broken object‑level authorization (IDOR), injection flaws, and misconfigurations.

Runtime protection (RASP) and tamper resistance

  • Detect jailbreak/root, hooking frameworks, debugger attaches, and emulator usage. (Note that runtime checks for jailbreak/root are imperfect; sophisticated attackers can bypass static checks.)
  • Respond adaptively: block, degrade functionality, or prompt re‑auth; always log signals.
  • Runtime checks cannot be trivially bypassed; responses don’t harm UX under benign conditions.

Secure data storage (Keychain/Keystore)

  • Never store secrets in plaintext; use platform keystores for credentials and keys.
  • Hash and salt passwords server‑side with modern algorithms; encrypt sensitive records at rest.
  • Protect backups and transient storage; implement secure deletion for sensitive data.
  • No sensitive data appears in logs, screenshots, caches, or unencrypted backups.

Logging, monitoring, and incident readiness

  • Create audit trails for sensitive actions and state changes; centralize telemetry.
  • Alert on anomalous behavior and failed security checks; investigate and tune regularly.
  • Maintain runbooks and practice incident drills to reduce time to detect/respond.
  • Logs avoid sensitive data exposure while preserving enough context to investigate.

Updates, dependencies, and minimum OS policy

  • Integrate Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools into CI/CD to catch vulnerable dependencies at commit time. Use lock files (Podfile.lock, package-lock.json, gradle.lock) to ensure reproducible builds and prevent transitive dependency surprises.
  • Ship frequent updates; patch vulnerable SDKs and third‑party dependencies quickly.
  • Define and review a minimum OS version policy; sunset insecure OS versions with clear user messaging.
  • Provide in‑app nudges for important security updates.
  • No use of deprecated APIs that weaken security; dependency risk is monitored and acted on.

Reverse engineering protections

  • Apply code obfuscation, symbol stripping, and anti‑tamper checks.
  • Detect common dynamic instrumentation attempts and respond appropriately.
  • Encrypt sensitive local assets; validate app integrity at startup and during runtime.
  • Protections are layered to slow attackers and increase effort without harming performance.

Compliance and audit readines

  • Map your checklist to recognized mobile security requirements and sector needs.
  • Maintain evidence: policies, test reports, re‑test confirmations, and change logs.
  • Consider industry obligations where applicable (privacy and financial sector guidance).
  • You can demonstrate control coverage and closure of findings during audits or assessments.
%%{ init: { "theme": "base", "themeVariables": { "background": "transparent", "primaryColor": "#D5E4F2", "textColor": "#000000", "fontSize": "16px", "edgeLabelBackground": "transparent" } } }%% flowchart TB %% Vertical timeline: single column H1[["Weeks 1-2: Baseline & policy"]] A1["Inventory apps, SDKs, APIs\nDocument data flows & threat paths"] A2["Publish code, secrets & crypto policies\nEnable SAST & secret scanning (merge blockers)"] H2[["Weeks 3-6: Core hardening"]] B1["Enforce TLS & certificate pinning\nDocument rotation & emergency unpin"] B2["Harden auth & session management\nLockouts & OTP handling"] B3["Centralize logs & runbooks\nEnable runtime checks: root/jailbreak/hooking"] H3[["Weeks 7-10: Depth & coverage"]] C1["API testing: authz, injection, IDOR"] C2["Harden storage: Keystore/Keychain, encrypted records, backups, secure deletion"] C3["Fuzzing & negative tests\nStart quarterly expert pentesting cadence"] H4[["Weeks 11-13: Assurance & scale"]] D1["Obfuscation & anti-tamper; simulate bypass tactics"] D2["Re-test closed findings & keep evidence\nReview minimum OS policy; update nudges"] D3["Publish changelog & 'last updated' marker"] %% Chain nodes top to bottom to form a timeline H1 --> A1 --> A2 --> H2 --> B1 --> B2 --> B3 --> H3 --> C1 --> C2 --> C3 --> H4 --> D1 --> D2 --> D3 %% Styles for readability: light blue boxes with black text classDef box fill:#D5E4F2,stroke:#2b2b2b,stroke-width:1px,rx:6px,color:#000; classDef headline fill:transparent,stroke-width:0,color:#000,font-weight:bold,font-size:18px; class A1,A2,B1,B2,B3,C1,C2,C3,D1,D2,D3 box; class H1,H2,H3,H4 headline;

Common pitfalls to avoid

  • Storing tokens or PII in plaintext (logs, caches, backups)
  • Trusting client-side validation only; no server-side authz
  • Neglecting third-party SDK audits
  • Pinning without safe rotation or emergency unpin
  • Weak authorization → IDOR / privilege escalation
  • Over-reliance on a single runtime check vs layered defenses
  • Treating a pentest as done without re-tests & evidence

Quick‑check table

Area Requirements
Code & CI Static analysis + secret scanning; protected branches and mandatory reviews
Auth & Session MFA beyond SMS where possible; lockouts; short‑lived tokens and secure storage
Transport Modern TLS enforced; certificate pinning with planned rotation and safe fallback
APIs Inventory; PoLP; rate limiting; authz middleware; consistent logging
Testing Automated scans + expert pentests; fuzzing; re‑tests with evidence
Runtime Root/jailbreak/hooking/debugger detection; adaptive responses
Storage Keystore/Keychain usage; encrypted records; secure deletion; backup protections
Observability Centralized logs; alerts; runbooks; regular drills
Updates Dependency and SDK hygiene; clear minimum OS policy
Reverse Eng. Obfuscation; anti‑tamper; integrity checks; encrypted assets
Compliance Mapped controls, evidence repository, change log, and “last updated” badge

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