IBM released a shocking study in 2023, revealing how the average data breach costs businesses $4.45 million. While large companies can likely buffet these costs, small- to medium-size businesses (SMBs) have a harder time weathering the storm — as further research shows, 60% of SMBs shutter in six months following a cyber attack.
One thing is clear: Digital security is pivotal to sustaining profits in the modern age. Key tasks such as app hardening, data obfuscation, and string encryption are essential to protecting profits and avoiding financial disaster. However, SMBs often lack the resources necessary to support large IT and DevSecOps teams and fail to take advantage of many effective and affordable ways to bolster cybersecurity to protect key applications.
Below is an explanation of how PreEmptive’s solutions can directly impact profits, and why strong digital defenses are a must, regardless of the cost.
Most people are familiar with the axiom: “The best offense is a good defense.” Traditionally, the saying applies to sports, but it translates to business management too. A strong offense is about driving profits, discovering growth, and marketing to new clients. However, accomplishing such feats requires building a reputation as an institution that respects and truly cares about clients. One major way to build trust is by protecting sensitive online information and offering mobile applications free of scammers, malware, phishing attacks, and fraudsters.
Unfortunately, development teams often consider app security an excessive step that takes time away from more important projects such as adding new features and issuing updates. It makes sense, given app development teams work under the pressure of tight deadlines, and securing every facet can seem like a useless detour. New features and sleek interfaces are certainly large draws, but as the cost of data breaches elevates, safety becomes a greater driver of customer turnover rates, directly affecting profits.
Businesses can’t afford to fall behind the competition when it comes to their customer’s online safety — the question is how?
To borrow another saying: “You have to spend money to make money.” If businesses invest in digital security infrastructure at all, it takes more than a piecemeal approach if they are to use their defense to support their offense.
The concept of “secure by design” should be one all IT teams keep top of mind as they work on forthcoming apps and updates. The idea describes the need to thoughtfully plan digital architecture, just as thoughtfully as construction teams lay out a blueprint for physical buildings.
As with a building, it begins from the ground up, addressing security at each stage of the app development process. The code is the foundation, which, first or all, must be functional. Yet code also must be secure and free of security flaws that invite reverse engineering, malware, or SQL injections. As a layer of defense, developers must obfuscate and minimize code to reduce the digital footprint and make code illegible, this way hackers can’t steal intellectual property or harvest sensitive information.
A strong foundation is essential but still not enough. As coders build mobile apps with safety in mind, they require strong walls, doors, windows, and ceilings to ensure that outside attackers can’t gain unauthorized access. On top of secure, properly obfuscated code, developers must add additional security measures to guard all endpoints, data caches, and entryways that lead to personal information. Authorization, authentication, privacy, and accountability programs such as anti-tampering detectors are considered “extras,” but they are steps that are just as necessary for mobile app protection.
These tools yield more in terms of profit than basic attack prevention. A strong foundation and security components result in fewer repairs over time, saving time and money. They also reduce the impact of successful attacks. For example, without proper anti-tampering and debug tools, businesses leave their websites open to more severe and prolonged digital sieges, but with these, it’s possible to identify and eliminate weaknesses early on.
The savings aren’t insignificant. Another IBM study explains how leaving software development problems until the implementation phase averages out to be 100x the cost compared with when catching them in the maintenance phase. This is why automated tools that test code integrity in the earliest possible stages are vital to maintaining profits.
Insurance doesn’t exist because disasters are imminent. It exists because people don’t know when disasters will strike or how chaotic the fallout will be. Each year, the odds of cyberattacks grow larger. In 2023 alone, 63% of SMBs were hit with some form of cyberattack, yet only 4% of SMBs view cybersecurity as their top risk.
All too often, businesses operate under the dangerous assumption that nothing bad will ever happen to them. Just a quick glance at the numbers disproves this. In 2023, over 8 billion records were breached, and many of the major attacks involved giant companies such as T-Mobile, Twitter (now X), and AT&T. Compared with 2022, the number of overall data breaches rose by 20%. While companies such as T-Mobile can shell out hundreds of millions of dollars to resolve their issues, small businesses don’t have that same luxury.
Therefore, partnering with a top-tier mobile application hardening service such as PreEmptive is a great way to reduce risks without breaking the bank.
The key lies in the future. Investing in cutting-edge security software, including AI and automated machine learning, saves businesses up to $1.76 million each year.
When it comes to cybersecurity, it pays to be serious and make sure you’re ahead of the curve. Investing in security only at the point of attack no longer cuts it. For SMBs to thrive in the modern world, it takes a foundational approach that prevents threats before they unravel into nightmarish attacks.
PreEmptive is one such service that offers a truly end-to-end service. From obfuscation, to app hardening, from jailbreak to reverse engineering detection, PreEmptive offers the right solutions that fit into any size company as it scales and grows. These tools are critical to driving long-term profit growth, not just boosting short-term results. Start by viewing PreEmptive’s extensive developer tools, or book a free demo to see how they can work for you.