Mobile Security Cheatsheet: Essential Guidelines from OWASP

3 min readJul 26, 2023

Mobile devices have become an integral part of our daily lives, carrying a wealth of personal and sensitive information. However, with the increasing number of cyber threats targeting mobile platforms, it is crucial to prioritize mobile security. To assist users and developers alike, this article presents a handy cheatsheet based on the guidelines provided by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). By following these best practices, you can enhance the security of your mobile devices and safeguard your valuable data.

Secure Code Development

Use secure coding practices and frameworks that follow industry-standard security guidelines.
Regularly update your mobile application’s libraries and dependencies to address security vulnerabilities.
Implement appropriate input validation and sanitization to prevent common security flaws such as injection attacks.

Authentication and Authorization

Enforce strong and unique passwords for user accounts, and consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.
Protect sensitive user information, such as passwords and authentication tokens, by encrypting them both at rest and during transmission.
Implement session management techniques that prevent session hijacking and enforce proper session timeouts.

Secure Communication

Employ secure communication protocols (e.g., HTTPS) to ensure data privacy during transit.
Validate and verify SSL/TLS certificates to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
Avoid using insecure and deprecated encryption algorithms and ciphers.

Secure Storage

Encrypt sensitive data stored on mobile devices, including locally stored files, databases, and caches.
Utilize secure key storage mechanisms and avoid storing sensitive information in plain text.
Implement proper access controls to limit data access to authorized users and applications.

Platform Permissions

Regularly review and audit the permissions requested by mobile applications, ensuring they align with their functionality.
Only request necessary permissions from users, and avoid excessive access to sensitive device resources.
Inform users about the purpose of each requested permission, promoting transparency and trust.

Code Obfuscation and Tampering Detection

Employ code obfuscation techniques to deter reverse engineering and protect intellectual property.
Implement tamper-detection mechanisms to identify unauthorized modifications to the application code.
Regularly monitor mobile application stores for potential clones or repackaged versions of your app.

Secure Backend APIs

Validate and sanitize input from mobile applications to prevent common web vulnerabilities such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Implement secure authentication and authorization mechanisms for backend APIs, such as OAuth or JWT.
Utilize rate limiting and throttling mechanisms to mitigate the risk of brute-force attacks.

Secure Offline Storage

Implement secure local storage mechanisms to protect data stored on the device when it is offline.
Utilize encryption, hashing, or other suitable techniques to safeguard sensitive information stored in offline caches.

Security Testing

Perform regular security assessments, including vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, to identify and address potential weaknesses.
Employ mobile application security testing frameworks and tools recommended by OWASP, such as OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG) or Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS).

Conclusion

By following these mobile security guidelines based on OWASP recommendations, users and developers can significantly enhance the security posture of mobile devices and applications. Remember, prioritizing mobile security is an ongoing effort that requires constant vigilance and proactive measures to stay one step ahead of evolving threats in the mobile landscape.