Top 15 Reasons Why Mobile Application VAPT is Important for Businesses in the United Kingdom

Presently, mobile applications have become an indispensable tool in engaging clients, enhancing revenue, and as a survival strategy in today’s dynamic economy.

Mobile applications were considered one of the most promising targets for cyber attackers due to the rapid increase in the usage of mobile devices.

Catchpoint’s report on cybersecurity has revealed that the number of mobile malware samples discovered in the year 2020 was a hundred million and above. 

Hence, mobile application Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) has turned out to be compulsory for organizations in the United Kingdom to guarantee their mobile application safety from cyber threats.

Here are the Top 15 Reasons Why Mobile Application VAPT is Important for Businesses in the United Kingdom.

What is Mobile Application VAPT?

Before going into the main topic let’s understand what Mobile Application VAPT is?

Mobile application VAPT is a comprehensive security testing methodology that involves identifying vulnerabilities in mobile applications, analyzing their impact, and providing recommendations to mitigate them. The goal of mobile application VAPT is to identify security weaknesses and ensure that mobile applications are secure and comply with relevant security standards.

List of Top 15 Reasons Why Mobile Application VAPT is Important for Businesses in the United Kingdom

Here comes our main topic let’s see the List of Top 15 Reasons Why Mobile Applications VAPT is Important for Businesses in the United Kingdom:

1. Protection against Financial Losses

The loss of hi-tech internet applications compromise a mobile application can ultimately put a business out of operation.

In this way, it becomes clear that by defining risks and containing them, one can prevent significant financial loss to the business.

2. Data Protection

Mobile applications deal with user data; this is in the form of login details, payment details, and Personal Identifiable Information (PII).

VAPT makes it possible for the business to protect the data from any form of unauthorized access.

3. Brand Reputation 

Computer breakout may cost a business organization its customers’ trust and thus deeply affect its performance.

Mobile application VAPT enables organizations to safeguard their brand from threats by pointing out the weaknesses in their security systems.

4. Regulatory Compliance

Mobile application VAPT can assist organizations in probable compliance with the regulations including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules on information technology.

5. Identification of Unknown Vulnerabilities

VAPT includes the employment of automated and manual techniques to find those vulnerabilities that an ordinary security solution can easily overlook.

6. Improved Security

Mobile application VAPT gives an insight into the security strength of the business’s mobile application, the findings having a bearing on what changes the business ought to make about the security of the application.

7. Reducing the Attack Surface

VAPT entails the discovery of the weaknesses that can be exploited by the attackers and their elimination.

In this context, the concept of attack surface can be defined as the magnitude of the risk that is usually associated with a particular business organization.

8. Improve Customer Confidence

When organizations in various businesses are committed to mobile application security using VAPT, they will develop customer confidence in their mobile application.

9. Detection of Common Vulnerabilities

The common risks identified using the VAPT mobile application include SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

10. Penetration Testing

Mobile application VAPT is a crucial aspect of penetration testing that focuses on the emulation of an attack to check flaws and strengths.

11. Manual Testing

The strategies under the mobile application VAPT comprise manual testing techniques that may not be seen by automated scanners.

12. Device Security

VAPT also looks at mobile devices and then defines risks that are there in the firmware of these mobile devices as well as in the hardware aspect of these devices.

13. Configuration Management

Mobile application VAPT makes it possible to determine that the setup of mobile gadgets and applications is safe and current.

14. Identify Network Exploitation

Mobile application VAPT reveals the following network vulnerability; the areas that attackers can use to get unauthorized access to mobile application data.

15. Maintain Customer Loyalty

If organizations are serious about implementing secure mobile applications through VAPT practices, it emphasizes customers’ data security & protection and ensures the patrons’ loyalty.

The Risks of Not Performing Mobile Application VAPT

Failure to perform mobile application VAPT can have severe consequences for businesses in the United Kingdom. Some of the risks associated with not performing mobile application VAPT include:

1. Security Breaches

If VAPT is not carried out, it is possible that security weaknesses can be granted to unhealthy mobile applications that can be exploited by attackers to enable unauthorized access to critical information.

2. Financial Losses

A security breach means business losses can surface for instance in notifying the affected customers, undertaking to compensate customers with credit monitoring services, and fines to be paid to regulatory authorities.

3. Damage to Brand Reputation

Hacking or any security breach is very disastrous for a business entity since it affects the brand image of a business and demoralizes the customers who then switch to numerous other businesses.

4. Regulatory Non-Compliance

The following are the consequences of not conducting VAPT: Non-compliance with certain regulations like GDPR, PCI-DSS and FCA guidelines.

5. Identity Theft

Gaining access to a mobile application can be a gateway to unauthorized access to a user’s personal information and/or identity theft whereby predominate PII is often stored in mobile applications including login credentials and payment information details.

If this data is not protected with VAPT, it can easily be an Identification of theft.

6. Unauthorized Access

With the absence of VAPT, the attackers could easily compromise mobile application data such as users’ personal data and business data.

7. Malware Infections

Smartphone applications can become infected with malware, which affects other gadgets and systems, with negative consequences.

7 Benefits of conducting Mobile Application VAPT

Conducting Mobile Application Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) can provide numerous benefits to businesses in the United Kingdom. Some of the benefits include:

1. Improved Security

VAPT is needed to determine the weak points of the mobile applications and minimize risks that the destroyers can use against a business.

2. Reduced Risk of Security Breaches 

If unusual behaviours are detected, then possible risks that endanger a business and its information assets should be eliminated.

3. Compliance with Regulations

organization regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the payment card industry data security standard (PCI-DSS) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidelines among others can be achieved through VAPT.

4. Protection of Sensitive Data

With the help of VAPT, a business can safeguard their business data, the private data of employees and customers including PII, payments, and other crucial information.

5. Enhanced Brand Reputation

Security is thus one of the ways that can help business organizations improve their brand image and earn the trust of their clients.

6. Cost Savings

By detecting relevant risks at an early stage, financial losses are prevented, and remediation costs are minimized in case of security breaches.

7. Improved Incident Response 

VAPT also assist business organizations in creating incident response plans that will ensure that in case of a security breach, the impact is reduced.

Summary

Here is the summary of the article “Top 15 Reasons Why Mobile Application VAPT is Important for Businesses in the UK“:

1. Protection against Financial Losses
2. Data Protection
3. Brand Reputation 
4. Regulatory Compliance
5. Identification of Unknown Vulnerabilities
6. Improved Security
7. Reducing the Attack Surface
8. Improve Customer Confidence
9. Detection of Common Vulnerabilities
10. Penetration Testing
11. Manual Testing
12.  Device Security
13. Configuration Management
14. Identify Network Exploitation
15. Maintain Customer Loyalty

Conclusion

In conclusion, the risks of not performing mobile application VAPT are significant and can have severe consequences for businesses in the United Kingdom.

By understanding these risks, businesses can prioritize their security measures and ensure the security and compliance of their mobile applications.

Regular VAPT can help businesses to identify vulnerabilities, mitigate risks, and protect their customers’ data and security.

FAQs: Top 15 Reasons Why Mobile Application VAPT is Important for Businesses in the United Kingdom