Ways for Securing Open Source Mobile Apps Development A number of IT companies have availed of open source software programs to create a number of software solutions and services. All thanks to the increased collaboration in the software development world. Developers, from years, have been solving development related issues by accessing popular repositories instead of wasting time in writing fresh code. A developer is often perplexed when it comes to choosing an open source web development platform. They are concerned about the cyber security issues. In this post, you will learn about maintaining cyber security of your mobile application development project when you are using an open source platform.
Is it safe to use Open Source Software? With open source software, one has an assurance that it has an edge over closed source alternatives. This is because it is 'open' to many eyes. Even the popular computer security and cryptography expert, Bruce Schneir, opines that engineers must demand open source code when it comes to security. He has also laid down certain preconditions that have to be met to ensure that open source is secured. Top tips to ensure security in open source software in Mobile apps development process. Go for Open Source software foundation/governance model
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A number of recognized foundations, including Apache Software Foundation, host open source projects. When you choose open source software, from any of these organizations, you can recognize the value that the project holds as you have access to stakeholder information and the licenses used.
Conduct a baseline scan of the Open Source code in use Prior to deploying and distributing the Open Source code for your mobile apps development process, it is a must to conduct an initial scanning for the code. With this you can catalog the entire Open Source and third-party codes which you are using presently. You can also recognize the licenses used with individual components along with the version of the component. You can identify the security vulnerabilities, if any, in the application code.
Review and validate open source code all through the development process If you are going to use the open source code in your upcoming mobile application, then it is must to execute a pre-approval workflow. Open source platforms like Phabricator, can help you submit your code snippets for review. Developers too busy in their schedules can make use of such tools in their mobile apps development process. Commercial software solutions can also help create automatic open source workflow approval processes for continuous development with large teams. Go for Real-time scanning to arrest vulnerabilities: With real-time code scanning, you can unleash the hidden security vulnerabilities which might put the reputation of your application in jeopardy by exposing private data of users. Publicly available databases can help you manually access open source vulnerability data. Also, you can make use of some automated tools which can scan the code in your apps, on the go. On finding of any new vulnerability, you can get real-time alerts. Open source can be an exciting tool for web developers. However, it is imperative to manage and secure your mobile apps development project against prospective security issues.