The use of cross-platform solutions among enterprise leaders is increasing, since it enables them to simplify the development process and market applications faster. Xamarin is one such framework that enables tech enthusiasts to build and deploy multi-platform apps. With this framework, app creators can access native APIs and toolkits (compatible with iOS and Android operating systems) to design near-native-like applications.
However, this framework sometimes raises security complications and leaves many product leaders asking, “How to secure the Xamarin development and resolve challenges?” It’s because one point of failure could cost tech leaders not only a huge investment but also a lifetime of trust. That’s why ensuring security must be a necessity from the minute creators begin writing the first line of Xamarin code.
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Xamarin Security Architecture
Though Xamarin-based projects have become massively popular in recent times, certain security vulnerabilities pose a threat to app safety. Xamarin-built apps due to the lack of adequate security measures can expose sensitive user data. Malware reverse engineering is among the most standard threats encountered by Xamarin app creators since C# (the programming language used in Xamarin apps) produces metadata that can easily offer insights into the application’s mechanisms.
It has been estimated that around 39% of hackers perform malware engineering to compromise the security of Xamarin apps and make tampering attempts. Before understanding the strategies and ways to ensure Xamarin app development security, it is crucial to go through the security architecture. Let’s look at the security architecture that establishes the base of Xamarin’s security strategy.
- Identify – Discover core threats and vulnerabilities to track assets and prioritize crucial security areas
- Categorize – Employ tools and techniques like static security testing, susceptibility scanning, and fuzzing to detect and classify vulnerabilities
- Respond – Determine steps to report, triage, and react to attacks or vulnerabilities
- Recuperate – Equip Xamarin apps with capabilities to containerize damage and recover from the occurrence with minimal impact
- Protect – Mitigate identified vulnerabilities and protect critical assets against code threats to eliminate security incidents
Upgradation of Security in Xamarin App Development – Points to Consider
Using Encryption Libraries
Whether it’s developing a web app or a mobile app, encryption is a vital security strategy for any Xamarin project. It defends users’ records by making them indecipherable to unauthorized people. Data encryption can protect the Xamarin app’s sensitive data, such as API keys or user passwords, recorded on the server or client side. By using the Xamarin platform’s most standard encryption algorithms, such as RSA or Advanced Encryption Standard, app managers can ensure that the information is effectively protected from illicit access.
App creators should also protect the security of their app’s API keys since they are responsible for decrypting and encrypting data. They should store effectively and not distribute all encryption keys to other stakeholders. Creators can protect data from possible threats by utilizing Xamarin’s encryption algorithms, and libraries, or utilizing Secure Sign-In Options (SSO).
Implementing Proxy Interception
Typically, Xamarin applications use APIs to interact between the server that processes requests and the devices on which it is installed. This allows storage and processing to be performed on the server and reduces the processing power used by the user’s device. APIs organize processes like data transmission, authentication, and so on by forming a communication channel between the device and the server-side system.
Though this is a standard and effective method, it also produces a vulnerability. Hackers can use a local proxy to seize communications through the APIs (connecting the users and the server). Since APIs manage reserved and sensitive data, this is quite a major threat. Once a proxy has been deployed, malicious actors can steal information or even alter data.
Fortunately, Xamarin offers intuitive security measures to eliminate this threat. Proxy interception can be set up in Xamarin apps to eliminate local device proxy settings. With this in place, a hacker cannot use a replication to route traffic since the app simply disregards the proxy’s presence. This approach completely wards off the threat of proxy attacks experienced by developers.
Performing Code Obfuscation and Minification
Obfuscation is an effective way to defend source code from malware impact, which can be helpful in exploiting app data. It helps by making it challenging for hackers to realize the code’s structure and purpose, along with its inputs/outputs. This makes it more difficult for an attacker to access the application.
Code minification also contributes to improving security, since it abstracts the size of the code, making it harder for hackers to read and decode. Furthermore, code abstraction enables creators to run code faster by lessening the amount of power that needs to be processed by the device. Code minification along with obfuscation can offer a strong layer of security for Xamarin mobile/web apps. They are crucial for any security strategy since they can make the Xamarin code more secure and protected from malicious actors.
Assessing Risks in Third-party Libraries
When using Xamarin for building mobile solutions, it’s essential to identify whether a third-party library used during development poses security risks. These libraries can integrate malicious scripts into apps, deliberately or by error. That’s why it’s crucial to assess the risks and take action to evade them. One of the optimal ways to ensure that the app is secure is to hire dedicated developers from a reputable Xamarin app development services provider. They can help tech leaders discover potential security risks within third-party libraries and recommend ways to overcome them.
Also, they can evaluate programmed scripts for security issues, ensuring that creators follow the best practices for incorporating third-party libraries within the app. They always check the source code of any library before integrating it into a Xamarin product. This way, leaders can identify any problems before they impact the application. Moreover, product creators should keep updated with the available libraries to be used during app development. This helps protect the application from common vulnerabilities in obsolete libraries.
Take the case study of AKLOS, a US-based healthcare startup that built and implemented a physiotherapy mobile app using Xamarin. They were not satisfied with existing libraries available in the community, since they felt they were outdated. With the help of dedicated Xamarin engineers, they built and integrated exclusive libraries. As a result, they were able to improve sensor detection and data streaming ability by up to 89%.
Proven Tips to Eliminate Security Errors During Xamarin App Development
Embracing MVVM Concept
Most app creators ignore the MVVM (Model-View-View model) pattern during Xamarin development. However, by doing this, they cannot reuse code. Besides, by using this pattern, creators can easily separate the presentation section and domain logic layer. This makes it easier to test and maintain the Xamarin code since it allows developers to implement patterns in the code without using data binding or commands.
Another benefit of using this pattern is that it makes code easy to reprocess, modify, maintain, and evaluate. When developers implement Xamarin code in the MVVM pattern, they can use the same template in different projects.
Using Outdated Versions
When creating a Xamarin application, tech leaders need to make sure they are utilizing the modern versions of IDE and libraries across the platforms. There is a huge chance that the application might not function when launched in the app store, because of using older library versions.
Moreover, if leaders don’t adopt the latest OS version, there are chances of losing a competitive edge in the market. So, leaders should always use the latest API references and SDK tools (for both iOS and Android) when building Xamarin applications. For instance, when building apps for iOS, the leaders must determine the target version as iOS 10 or higher. App handlers should update their app repeatedly using the SDK Manager.
NuGet Version and Main Thread Blockage
In the context of Xamarin mobile app development, scaling (up/down) of NuGet packages is an inevitable process. However, app creators must make sure to maintain a similar version across iOS and Android platforms. Otherwise, creators may not be able to design and deploy the app to the target devices effectively. Similarly, blocking the main thread in Xamarin code won’t make apps work smoothly and its performance will be reduced. Hence, to avoid utilizing the main thread to process heavy interactions, developers can use async and await mechanisms.
Carry Out Unit Testing
When app creators don’t perform unit test cases on Xamarin applications, it is highly difficult to identify errors and maintain the embedded code. In Xamarin development, the unit test should be done independently and the test execution should be fast and produce accurate results.
Closing Thoughts
Security should be a topmost priority of Xamarin development projects. Though there are plenty of approaches to ensure security, it is crucial to always be updated with the latest and proven security trends and practices. Consulting with skilled offshore Xamarin development teams is also highly advisable for business leaders. This enables them to obtain personalized strategies to secure, encrypt, authenticate, and optimize their applications.
