IBM shows where vulnerabilities appear in iOS apps

IBM announced security software that helps organizations proactively reduce the security risk to iOS enterprise apps. Clients will be able to build security testing into the initial design of mobile apps so that vulnerabilities can be detected early in the development process, before being deployed to customers or employees.

This announcement further expands the IBM MobileFirst portfolio, which marries expertise with a set of mobile software and cloud-based services.

According to Gartner, more than 45.6 billion mobile apps were downloaded in 2012. As the rate of app use on mobile devices increases, securing smartphones and other endpoint devices is a top priority for organizations and Chief Information Security Officers. With the proliferation of consumer and enterprise mobile apps, organizations cannot always control or restrict the apps installed on user devices, so they must test how apps send and save data.

IBM’s new security software can automatically identify where data enters and leaves a mobile app, helping to prevent mobile data leakage.

The pace of mobile application releases and updates can be overwhelming for organizations trying to maintain strict security guidelines and policies. IBM AppScan Source 8.7 for iOS provides the ability to improve security quality without sacrificing time-to-market of mobile app projects. This allows organizations to better protect each mobile app release in the face of constant updates. IBM previously announced IBM AppScan for apps running on the Android platform.

KiwiTech is a leading mobile technology firm headquartered in Washington DC, and offices in New York and New Delhi. The company has developed more than 750 apps which have generated over three million downloads on iOS and Android platforms. With more than 200 mobile development and related professionals focused on app development, including security is a top priority for the organization.

“Over the last four years, KiwiTech has developed hundreds of iOS and Android mobile apps for organizations around the world. As the risk from mobile malware and data leakage grows, our customers are looking for ways to secure their iOS and Android apps and protect corporate data,” said Rakesh Gupta , Chief Executive Officer, KiwiTech. “The new IBM AppScan product will allow us to proactively secure mobile apps and automate security testing to ensure our customers can keep pace with constant updates.”

In addition, IBM AppScan Source 8.7 for iOS can help reduce the cost of developing secure apps by building security analysis early into the development cycle. It provides developers with an unmatched view into where vulnerabilities appear in their mobile apps, which improves security quality without sacrificing time to market of mobile app projects.

“This new capability showcases IBM’s execution in our strategy to help clients incorporate security into their infrastructure and solutions from the design, development and testing phases rather than leaving security to become an afterthought,” said Caleb Barlow , Director of Application, Data and Mobile Security, IBM. “It also aligns with the IBM MobileFirst strategy by empowering organizations with confidence to aggressively evolve and seize the business potential that mobility promises.”

New capabilities to IBM AppScan Source 8.7 for iOS include:

• Complete Language Support for Objective-C, JavaScript and Java: Includes the ability to do call and data flow analysis that will generate trace information. This new capability enables organizations to build secure enterprise mobile apps, regardless of technology choice, for employees and partners.
• Support for US Federal Government Requirements: Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) and use of a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic module.
• 40,000 Mobile Security APIs Supported: IBM Security Research conducted a comprehensive analysis on the iOS SDK to include coverage of APIs that might introduce security risks. The API profiles have been added to the IBM AppScan Source Security Knowledgebase and tied to the analysis engine. Combined with the research conducted on the Android SDK, IBM AppScan Source has researched and characterized the security risk of approximately 40,000 mobile APIs.