Within the last several years alone, billions of mobile apps have been downloaded by consumers to their smartphones. From chat and messenger, to medical and banking portals that store highly sensitive personal intelligence – information, entertainment, and engagement between companies and their consumers are at the simple touch of a fingertip at all times. Consumers are drawn to the quick accessibility and ease of use, and for companies – the development and launch of the platforms as an extension of their brand has a low cost and barrier to entry that makes it a no brainer for business.
But unlike what we’ve widely deemed “smart” technology – i.e., the phones, cars, or thermostats that are top of mind today – mobile applications somehow still tend to be categorized separately. In spite of the fact that mobile apps live on IoT-enabled devices, collect user data, and continuously loop communication between Internet, cloud services and companies (even when not “in use”), there is a limited view that they are different entities altogether. We see this particularly when it comes to security – or lack-there-of – regarding security standards in place to continuously protect users from detrimental application hacks.