Interview News

Empowering DevSecOps with Appdome’s No-code Platform.

Jan Sysmans, Mobile App Security Evangelist at Appdome

Mobile app developers have invested enormous resources in people, time, and money to automate their DevOps processes 

How does Appdome’s no-code approach make it easy for organizations to secure their mobile apps?  

Appdome is a no-code mobile cyber defense automation platform. On Appdome, mobile app developers and cyber teams can build a set of mobile defense features into their Android and iOS apps including mobile app security, mobile fraud prevention, mobile malware prevention, mobile cheat prevention and mobile bot defense, all directly inside their DevOps processes. Appdome connects directly to an organization’s CI/CD pipeline, allowing the required security model to be built in the app, without the developers having to make any changes to how they built their apps. 

At the end of each built, Appdome delivers a Certified Secure certificate, an artifact of proof, that demonstrates the exact security features that are built in the app. With this artifact of proof, Appdome becomes the Security System of Record, and the Certified Secure certificate can be used to demonstrate compliance with external regulations, as well as serve as an audit tool internally. 

On Appdome, an organization can complete their security project in a matter of seconds and rapidly update the security model, to protect against the ever-changing threat landscape. 

The revenue generated from mobile apps is projected to reach $4.8 billion USD by 2027, a significant increase from $2.7 billion USD in 2022

Jan Sysmans, Mobile App Security Evangelist at Appdome

What are some of the benefits of automating the security of mobile apps?  

In two words: Conflict Resolution. 

Mobile app developers have invested enormous resources in people, time, and money to automate their DevOps processes. In addition, mobile app developers are measured on customer satisfaction; expressed in ratings on the App Store, growth in the number of app downloads, app performance and very low crash rates, just to name of few. And to maintain a high customer engagement in their app, they are releasing new features in a Rapid and Agile way. Anything that would negatively impact customer satisfaction and engagement or cause disruption to the rapid, agile release schedule will be avoided. 

Cyber security teams on the other hand think in terms of compliance. And the traditional mobile app security solutions cannot be integrated into the automated DevOps workflow. As a result, cyber teams have a hard time getting all the required protections in their mobile apps. And this creates conflict between the cyber and dev teams. 

The only way for cyber teams to resolve this conflict is to adopt developer best practices for building security in their mobile apps and connect their security solution to their CI/CD pipeline so that the security can be built into the app, without developers having to do any extra work, and without disrupting the Rapid and Agile release process that is in place. 

What are some of the challenges that organizations face in securing their mobile apps? How can Appdome help organizations address these challenges?  

The biggest challenges cyber teams face in securing their mobile apps are: 

Visibility: how can cyber teams know that the required protections are indeed in the app, without disrupting the automated DevOps process 

Management: how can cyber teams define the security model that the dev team needs to build into the app 

Control: how can cyber teams make changes (version) to their security model to protect against new threats or meet new regulatory requirements 

Without having visibility, management and control over the security features in the mobile apps, cyber teams are merely passive observers. And this prevents them from fully participating in the mobile app release process. Appdome changes the game and allows cyber security to become active participants in the DevOps process, allowing organizations to become truly DevSecOps.  

What are Appdome’s future plans in India regarding opportunities and challenges?  

India and South Asia have emerged as the world’s most rapidly growing digital economies. Notably, mobile devices account for 80% of all online traffic in India, and the country contributes to 5% of global app downloads. The revenue generated from mobile apps is projected to reach $4.8 billion USD by 2027, a significant increase from $2.7 billion USD in 2022. As consumers worldwide rely on mobile apps for enhanced financial transactions, the findings from Appdome’s Global Consumer Expectations on Mobile App Security survey emphasize the increasing demand for greater protection in mobile app experiences. Despite brands heavily investing in automating the development and release of app updates, mobile app security still takes a back seat to the introduction of new features. The survey clearly highlights the strong consumer sentiment that places equal importance on security and new functionalities. Appdome stands out as the only cyber defense automation platform that seamlessly integrates with the DevOps systems utilized by app developers, facilitating the swift and straightforward inclusion of security measures directly within their CI/CD pipeline. The growing interest from Indian banks, fintech companies, and brands constructing superapps with transaction capabilities has prompted Appdome’s investment in South Asia. 

What are some of the emerging cybersecurity trends or threats in India, and how is Appdome positioned to address them?  

Though the Indian government has taken steps to mitigate botnet and malware threats through its Cyber Swachhta Kendra initiative, it is incumbent on organizations to be proactive as well. Simply put, businesses putting out apps must also account for security when they develop new offerings. The problem, however, is that the mobile app threat landscape is very dynamic and ever-changing and staying ahead of the bad guys is becoming increasingly difficult.  

Appdome is well-positioned to help Indian companies defend against the ever-changing threat landscape. Appdome provides comprehensive mobile malware prevention capabilities that can be seamlessly incorporated into the app development process. This helps app makers defend against attacks, safeguarding user data and bolstering the overall security of the mobile ecosystem. Appdome plays a vital role in enhancing the cybersecurity posture of mobile apps in India, effectively protecting users and organizations from evolving threats. 

How can Appdome contribute to building a stronger cybersecurity ecosystem in India? 

Appdome is uniquely positioned to contribute to the development of a stronger cybersecurity ecosystem in India and is working together with pen testers, cyber security VARs and brands to elevate mobile app defense best practices and keep mobile end users safe and secure. By empowering app developers with the tools and capabilities to seamlessly integrate robust mobile cyber defense measures into their applications, Appdome enables the creation of secure apps without disrupting development cycles and without compromising functionality or user experience. With advanced mobile malware prevention capabilities, Appdome helps safeguard user data from cyber threats, building trust and enhancing security in the digital landscape. Furthermore, Appdome’s defense against mobile fraud mitigates the risk of attacks by fortifying mobile apps against synthetic fraud, spyware and mobile bot attacks. Through collaboration with local cybersecurity organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions, Appdome can share insights and best practices, fostering a collective effort towards a stronger cybersecurity ecosystem in India. 

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