Identity theft is a major concern in today’s society. In fact, stealing someone’s identity has become a common tactic for cyber criminals around the world. In the past, the focus of these crimes has been theft of payment and financial data. Now, attaining personal information through hacking of apps and IoT devices is a commonplace cyber-threat.

According to the study, Breach Level Index, by Gemalto, an international digital security company providing software applications and secure personal devices such as smart cards and tokens, and managed services, there were 974 data breaches worldwide in the first half of 2016.

Security is a focal point for many app developers. Photo credit: Pexels.

That’s up 15 per cent from 844 breaches during the previous six months, and up from 766 data breaches in the first half of 2015. In addition, more than 554 million data records were stolen in the first half of 2016.

“From a time perspective, 3,046,456 data records were stolen or lost every day during the first half; 126,936 data records were stolen or lost every hour; 2,116 were stolen or lost every minute and 35 were stolen or lost every second,” reads the report.

There were plenty of noteworthy data breaches in 2016, each of which went through a thorough Breach Level Index (BLI) risk assessment. This assessment is ranked on several factors including, the number of records exposed, type of data, and how the information was used. Here’s how the BLI score breakdown works:

• One to 2.9 = Minimal Risk

• Three to 4.9 = Moderate

• Five to 6.9 = Critical

• Seven to 8.9 = Severe

• Nine to ten = Catastrophic

Dating website Fling.com took a big hit in 2016 with 40 million records stolen, which was closely followed by a photo sharing and video-streaming app called 17 Media. This hack resulted in the theft of 30 million records, leading to a BLI score of 9.7 and making it the second biggest breach of the year. According to Motherboard, the hacker advertised email addresses, passwords, phone numbers, and other information from users.

It may be a tempting idea to jump into the world of app development, but a rushed design or improperly secured app during development stages could spell future trouble, and potential ruin. Developers should take the necessary steps to ensure their apps are not capable of being hacked.

Generally, from an end-user standpoint, once an app is available, it is believed to be secure and free of vulnerabilities. In an annual report on the security of the world’s 1.4 billion Android devices that Google released, it is estimated about 5 billion Android apps are susceptible to security attacks.

Although the idea of being hacked is a scary thought, there are several basic steps you can take to ensure your app isn’t susceptible to malicious malware, worms, or viruses.

Use the right language in the framework

If the language you use in your app’s framework is not correct, you can leave it open to vulnerabilities and to hackers. This weakness leaves user information and devices vulnerable to attacks. In some cases, a simple modification to the language development can prevent the attack from occurring.

App security is crucial, even at the development stage. Photo credit: Pexels.

Conduct vulnerability tests

Using a white-hat hacker to test your app could be the solution to knowing if it is penetrable. Using several hackers can show a variety of flaws, and alert developers to unknown problems. While this solution is a great option, it can be costly to conduct. Instead, consider using a security vulnerability test.

Think Beyond Security

It is also important to note that security is not an issue that can, or should be viewed independently by developers. To create a smooth and reliable overall user experience, developers will need access to an equally comprehensive trove of resources in the ever-shifting digital space. Furthermore, the rapid pace of technological innovation is also driving different customer needs, whether it’s a solution developed for IoT devices, websites or mobile applications.

Venturing beyond its current Integrated App Management System, where libraries and services focused on security and analytics features are offered, Quixxi has found a way to enable easy access to a marketplace of blockchain-specific modules that developers will then be able to access for use for their own needs.

While the use of blockchain technology has yet to be fully explored, a marketplace such as Quixxi’s helps remove the immense barrier of entry into blockchain development. Removing this hurdle for developers enables them to focus on building reliable and creative solutions to address problems in different spaces.

Quixxi Marketplace provides developers with the tools they need to make secure apps. Photo credit: Pexels.

An example of this would be the inclusion of Quixxi’s own service modules, such as Token Creator, ERC20 Agent, and the SWARM Resolver. These modules will be made available in the marketplace, and offers developers resources to better navigate the advantages of the blockchain and goes beyond security or analytics.

To access these resources, the Quixxi platform uses a new cryptocurrency called the Quixxi Token, which allows developers to access blockchain services, and be rewarded for their contribution.

However, in the age of hyperconnectivity, security remains an important, if not the most crucial concern. In this capacity, blockchain technology is also being viewed as the new industry standard for encryption and privacy, especially for applications that utilize P2P payment platforms.

The level of security from an end-to-end standpoint that blockchain technology affords is unlike anything we’ve had to date. The problem is the complexity and perhaps restricted knowledge-base within the developer community by way of blockchain programming.

For NextGen solutions to capitalise on NextGen opportunities, join the Quixxi community today!

About Quixxi

Leveraging on blockchain technology, Quixxi is a marketplace for developers who want to build the world’s best digital solutions. Register to find out about pre-sale bonuses for Quixxi Token by joining the Quixxi newsletter. Stay in touch by following Quixxi on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Receive project updates on their community channels, Telegram and Reddit, and lastly, keep an eye out for updates on their TDE website.