Nowadays, the stakes of cybersecurity are higher, and the methods of data breaches are becoming more sophisticated. Cyberattackers are inventing more lethal data breach strategies such as reverse engineering tools, decompilers, and disassemblers.
In response, developers must take extra steps to ensure the safety and security of their code and users’ data. Hackers target the healthcare industry most, followed by the financial services and retail sectors. According to a study cited by the National Library of Medicine, 2216 data breach incidences were reported across 65 countries in 2018 alone. Among these data breach incidences, the healthcare industry faced 536 breaches.
Software development is one of the most affected industry sectors. Data from the recent IBM report showed that software development was the target of 44% of all ransomware attacks in 2021. Findings from research conducted by Positive Technologies show that mobile banking applications are the most affected by cybercrime. The study also showed that common cyberattacks and cyber vulnerabilities are caused by names of classes and methods explicitly written in the source code without being masked or encrypted through methods such as code obfuscation.
The need for masking is increasing as stakes in cybercrime rise. Data from CB Insights shows that data masking will grow into an $800M industry by 2023. As you can see, data obfuscation is important for many reasons. Not only does it protect your intellectual property, but it also helps to keep user data safe and secure.
So, what is data obfuscation? In their guide, Brunton and Nissenbaum define data obfuscation as “the deliberate use of ambiguous, confusing, or misleading information to interfere with surveillance and data collection projects.” Simply put, it is a method of hiding data by making it difficult to interpret. App hardening is an excellent example of data obfuscation and protection. It’s a technique used to protect information by making it unreadable and unusable to anyone who doesn’t have the proper key to unlock it.
This is accomplished using some of the best data protection practices, such as encryption, code transformation, and watermarking. In the software development world, data obfuscation is important. It assists software developers in protecting intellectual property, ensuring the safety of user data, and preventing reverse engineering. For instance, software developers can prevent intellectual property theft through encryption. Encrypting code makes it much more difficult for non-authorized people to copy or reverse engineer it.
Data obfuscation is becoming increasingly relevant, especially as businesses and start-ups move to the online space. A survey conducted by 451 Research LLC revealed that data obfuscation techniques are on the rise, partly due to accelerating DevOps and as developers’ access to production data rises. Findings from the survey revealed that 53% of organizations interviewed used data obfuscation methods to protect the organization’s developer infrastructure. However, mobile developers seem to lag in adopting data obfuscation strategies to prevent data breaches in their development activities. According to the Association for Computing Machinery research, the developers obfuscated only 24.92% of the 1.7 million free Android apps from Google Play.
This is a concern because the risk of data breaches increases as mobile devices and apps increase. A recent study by Kaspersky shows that nearly one in five (17% of internet users) have had private information leaked to the public without their consent. With the increasing number of data breaches, developers are becoming more important than ever to protect their code and user data. One way to do this is through data obfuscation.
As a developer, knowing the different software vulnerabilities that can affect your code is important. By understanding these vulnerabilities, you can take steps to avoid them and keep your code safe. Here are five common software vulnerabilities:
SQL injection is an attack that allows attackers to execute malicious SQL code on a database. This can be done by submitting malicious input into an application that is then executed by the database. SQL injection can access sensitive data, such as user passwords and credit card numbers. Data obfuscation techniques, such as string encryption and parameterized queries, can prevent SQL injection.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is an attack that allows attackers to inject malicious code into a web page by submitting malicious input into an application displayed on the web page. XSS can steal sensitive information, such as cookies and session IDs. It can also inject malicious code into the web page, such as JavaScript, redirecting users to a malicious site.
XSS can be prevented by using data obfuscation techniques, such as input validation and output encoding. Input validation involves checking user input to ensure it is valid before displaying it on the web page. PreEmptive’s Dotfuscator uses input validation to verify the application’s integrity during runtime.
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) is an attack that allows attackers to inject malicious code into a web page. This can be done by submitting a malicious link or form to a user. CSRF can be used to trick users into submitting sensitive information, such as their username and password. It can also inject malicious code into the web page, such as JavaScript, redirecting users to a malicious site.
CSRF can be prevented using data obfuscation techniques such as input validation and output encoding. Input validation involves checking user input to ensure validity before the application processes it.
Session hijacking is an attack that allows attackers to take over a user’s session. This can be done by stealing the user’s session ID. Session hijacking can access sensitive data, such as user passwords and credit card numbers. It can also modify data, such as changing a user’s password or adding new users to a database. PreEmptive’s Dotfuscator is the best app shield against session hijacking.
Denial of service is an attack that prevents users from accessing a website or service. This can be done by overwhelming the website with traffic or crashing the server. DoS can make a website unavailable by preventing users from accessing it or slowing it down to make it unusable. Data obfuscation techniques such as input validation and output encoding can prevent denial of service.
Data obfuscation is an important tool for any developer when developing security applications. Using data obfuscation techniques, such as input validation and output encoding, developers can make it much more difficult for attackers to inject malicious code into their web pages. This can help to prevent a wide range of attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, CSRF, session hijacking, and denial of service.
Data obfuscation is a critical step in software development, yet it is often neglected. By understanding what data obfuscation is and how to apply it, you can protect your applications from hacking and tampering. PreEmptive’s comprehensive suite of obfuscation tools can help you secure your DevSecOps pipelines and investments. With our help, you can protect your systems and keep your data safe. Contact us today to learn more about our products and services!