Traditional application security tools are designed to detect and prevent vulnerabilities during development, specifically in the source code, or during the compile and link stages. However, once an application is launched, it becomes vulnerable to runtime attacks. These attacks can be particularly damaging in highly sensitive sectors like fintech, government, and healthcare.
Mobile Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) addresses this gap by operating from within the application. It actively monitors and protects the app during execution, defending against runtime threats that static tools can’t detect or stop.
Mobile RASP continuously monitors and protects an application while it’s running. It plays a critical role in a comprehensive application security strategy, especially since protection must extend beyond development to the post-deployment phase, where apps run on mobile devices you don’t control.
A mobile RASP solution is embedded directly within the application and operates at runtime, detecting and responding to threats as they occur. It functions independently of the mobile operating system (OS), requiring no OS-level changes. By analyzing runtime behavior in context, mobile RASP can distinguish between malicious activity and benign errors, enabling precise and adaptive protection.
The features that enable mobile RASP to protect applications against runtime threats include the following:
A RASP program runs alongside the app to continuously monitor its activity. It actively scans for malicious behavior and suspicious resource access. Because the monitoring and decision logic is embedded in the app’s execution path, it can detect and respond to threats based on predefined rules and context-specific conditions.
In addition to detecting threats, RASP programs can actively block suspicious behavior to prevent unauthorized access or modification. Common examples of blocked activities include:
Unexpected changes to binaries, class structures, or other program components can signal tampering. A mobile RASP program monitors these indicators, including signs of repackaging like signature mismatches.
Hackers may use advanced tools to alter runtime behavior or hook into native code to access sensitive data. When hooking indicators, like suspicious call redirection, are detected, the RASP program can trigger an alert or block the malicious process.
Attackers often attempt to reverse engineer apps to understand their structure and identify vulnerabilities. Tools like debuggers, decompilers, and hex editors are commonly used. Mobile RASP detects these tools and related activity (such as memory dumps) and can respond by encrypting sensitive data, disabling features, or triggering alerts.
Depending on the type of suspicious activity detected, the RASP program can dynamically respond to block the threat in real time. Common actions include shutting down the app, disabling specific features, forcing a logout, invalidating a session token, or triggering an alert.
A RASP program can detect indicators that the app is running in a compromised or emulated environment, such as rooted or jailbroken devices. Attackers often use these environments to bypass protections, automate attacks, or manipulate runtime behavior.
Application security requires a layered approach to cover all potential attack surfaces. Static security measures are essential for building resilient apps and supporting a shift-left approach by addressing risks early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). However, these tools can’t detect or stop threats that occur during runtime, leaving a critical gap in protection.
| Component | Static Security | Mobile RASP |
| When applied | Pre-deployment | Runtime |
| Key benefits | Detects live threats, Real-time responses | Detects live threatsReal-time responses |
| Common limitations | Can’t detect runtime attacks | Can’t fix insecure code |
| Best-fit use cases | Enforcing coding standards | Preventing and responding to runtime attacks |
Mobile RASP complements your static defenses to help you create a comprehensive, overlapping approach to app security. Because static security tools are designed to protect an application in a compiled state, they don’t have runtime visibility. They can’t see or defend against threats after deployment. This leaves your application vulnerable to hackers who reverse engineer it and gain access to the binary.
To close the gaps left by static security tools, mobile RASP is designed to detect and block threats that occur during execution. Common examples include:
When evaluating a mobile RASP solution, look for the following features:
Mobile RASP security technology solutions should be integrated into your existing CI/CD pipeline as part of your overall application security strategy.
Although RASP is designed for runtime protection, don’t wait until the end of deployment to start implementing it. During the design phase, you’ll need to consider how various features and components of your application will benefit from RASP.
During the build stage, you’ll need to inject the mobile RASP into your application via an agent or the software development kit (SDK).
This is also when you need to configure your mobile RASP to establish policies for how it should respond to specific threats. If the RASP detects that the app is running on a rooted device, you may want to have it self-terminate.
In the event of code tampering, you may want it to erase sensitive data and log out. You can adjust the parameters based on the sensitivity of the exposed data and the severity of the threat.
Enable logging and telemetry during the build. Choose which data points to capture and ensure your logging practices comply with data privacy and protection regulations.
The final app size is one key consideration when implementing mobile RASP at this stage. Understand what’s being added and why, so you can trim where needed to avoid performance issues. Once complete, your runtime protections will be part of the codebase and ready for testing.
During the testing stage, evaluate how the application behaves with RASP enabled. Ensure the app functions correctly and that RASP doesn’t interfere with regular user activity.
Next, trigger specific threat scenarios to test how the RASP responds. This includes running the app on rooted or jailbroken devices, attaching a debugger, or launching it in an emulator. Simulate tampering attempts to validate detection and response.
After simulating attacks, confirm that each event is accurately logged and appears in your dashboard. Ensure logs comply with your privacy guidelines and that responses are appropriate from a user experience perspective.
RASP testing typically results in fewer false positives than other security tools, as it’s context-aware. Still, use this opportunity to identify any false positives and fine-tune your configuration as needed.
The release stage is when you finalize your configurations and prepare to deploy your app with comprehensive runtime protection. Based on your testing data, adjust how your RASP program responds to threats. Enable remote policy updates so you can use your telemetry and analysis to tweak your responses based on real-time trends without sending an app update each time.
Include your RASP logs in your incident response plans so your security team is alerted and can address any underlying issues. Before you release the mobile RASP, do a staged rollout to evaluate its performance in a smaller environment.
For example, an online investment company plans to release an Android and iOS app with innovative features that make personalized investment recommendations based on its customers’ goals, history, risk tolerance profile, and current portfolio. Because the app would handle so much sensitive information, it would be imperative for the company to protect the privacy and security of customer data.
The company would look for comprehensive application security that would adapt in real time and allow the app to be fast, responsive, and intuitive. During the build stage, the team would embed mobile RASP into the app, set policies, and check for obfuscation conflicts. In the testing phase, the QA engineers would test the application on rooted and jailbroken phones, perform behavior validation, and check baseline performance to verify that the mobile RASP wouldn’t negatively impact the app’s speed and responsiveness.
Once they complete their testing, the company will roll out the app to 10% of its customers to monitor it. After 72 hours with no significant issues, they would roll it out to the rest of their customers and continue to monitor and log threats, making adjustments remotely as needed.
If you’re on the fence about implementing mobile RASP security solutions for your app, the following list will help you determine if it’s a good fit for your use case:
The more sensitive your customer data is, the higher your security needs. If you’re dealing with high-risk data such as financial or health information, mobile RASP can help prevent data theft during runtime. If your app contains intellectual property that can be accessed through reverse engineering, mobile RASP will help you maintain a competitive advantage.
Mobile RASP strengthens your mobile app security posture through automated defense and runtime visibility. These measures are required for some cybersecurity frameworks, as mobile applications offer a particularly attractive attack vector for malicious actors.
If your application is a high-value target for attackers, it will likely need dynamic mobile RASP protection. You can regularly update your defenses in response to security risks without releasing new versions.
Mobile RASP won’t compensate for an inefficient security team, but it can help you provide more comprehensive coverage. It pairs with your static application security testing measures to help you take a multi-faceted approach to application security.
Apps distributed to a broad audience through public platforms are more vulnerable to reverse engineering and require stronger security measures.
Adding runtime protection to your mobile security strategy helps you safeguard against threats that static tools alone can’t address. If your team is looking to close security gaps during runtime, especially for sensitive or widely distributed apps, exploring mobile RASP is a logical next step. PreEmptive’s suite of runtime protection tools empowers DevSecOps teams to build a multi-faceted application security strategy that integrates seamlessly into the CI/CD pipeline. To see how runtime protection fits into your CI/CD pipeline, request a free trial today!