Android™ 3 SDK Programming For Dummies®

Chapter 9

Making Your Application Safe and Secure

In This Chapter

• Understanding security and its relationship with trust
• Knowing the basics of security and trust for mobile devices and apps
• Appreciating the Android security model and making your application work within it
• Recognizing where the insecurities lie in your Android app and protecting it

“Eternal vigilance!” is the watchword for developing mobile devices and applications. However, implementing random security techniques in your app as a result of blind panic is hardly a good development strategy. As you design your app, think systematically to see where the security principles described in this chapter apply, and then implement the necessary security using a combination of the techniques also described in this chapter.

In this chapter, we take a holistic look at developing secure Android apps — starting by describing why security is especially important for mobile apps, and then presenting security principles and general security techniques. We then get into Android security specifics.

Recognizing the Importance of Security

Security is an increasingly important consideration for mobile devices (and their applications), for three primary reasons:

• Mobile devices store valuable personal information. Most people's mobile devices eventually become repositories for all types of personal information — their geographical location, contact names and addresses, financial transactions, and credit card information, for example. ...