By Swain Thorne
Mobile apps are susceptible to a wide range of security threats. This may force the developers to adopt a series of measures to reduce the possibility of attacks. Close to 50 % of the apps that are installed in the Android marketplace have viable security measures installed. What it means is that the apps are vulnerable to a wide range of attacks including app clones, IP thefts, data loss along with damage to reputation. Another point to be taken into account is the performance of an app. If you remove the unnecessary codes along with applications the apps are bound to be efficient and fast. The process of code obfuscation is vital for an open-source application.
Progaurd
The use of Progaurd is known to serve three main functions. They are going to include shrinking, optimization and obfuscation. It works out to be a free tool that is going to shrink, obfuscate, or periphery the java class files. Progaurd is used in Android applications or large-scale Java files. It is known to make reverse engineering difficult though it is not practically impossible.
An android app is an easy target for reverse engineering, which makes it necessary for the developers to be using Progaurd as a security measure. It is one of the better ways to secure the codebase of your app with minimal configurations. Be aware of the fact that it is a basic security tool, and it should not be viewed as a comprehensive or multi-layered approach to security. This is going to remove the unused variables, as it trims down an application size that happens to be a notable feature of this one-line command tool.
The benefits associated with the implementation of Progaurd
As discussed Progaurd is an open-line command source tool that is strongly recommended for Android applications. The readability of the code decreases where it goes on to enhance the security part of the applications. Apart from enhancing the security, the applications are shrunk to provide a complete package. Below are the benefits of using this module in your applications.
Compact configuration
It is known to possess a template-based configuration in comparison to other forms of Java obfuscators. This happens to be one of the significant benefits of Progaurd Android. It is possible to incorporate a few commands lines options or a simple configuration mail that would enable it.
Protection against statistical analysis
Hackers are known to use statistical analysis to access the source code of an application. With this form of analysis, the source code and control flow is bound to be analysed by the hackers as it gives them an idea about their work. Proguard would shield the applications against these forms of attacks.
Makes reverse ere-engineering a difficult task altogether
The moment you go on to apply proper Progaurd rules, the process of reverse re-engineering can turn out to be difficult. It is known to shrink and obfuscate the code with obscure names. It is quite possible that critical data can be leaked and hackers may make their entry into the applications.
The efficiency of the application is bound to improve
The code base of applications tends to enhance with Progaurd. This is going to enhance the performance of an application with optimization feature and eradicates all the unwanted components of an application. Any application with Progaurd is a lot faster.
The size of the applications is reduced
To the point of time, Proguard can result in smaller size AAB and APK files Progaurd is known to reduce the size of the applications between 20 % to 90 %. The unused codes are discarded and the resources from your library dependencies or an application end up providing a complete package of sorts with a small memory footprint. Another major benefit is that it is going to process a lot of megabytes within a few seconds along with using an optional graphical user interface
Though Progaurd has numerous benefits, but there are some things that you need to be aware. In terms of security it may be a perfect opportunity to start using them but it is better if you use them along with other applications. One should not solely be dependent on the same and in a case of a misconfiguration there is a possibility that your app could crash. Such expected outcomes could have a negative impact. It requires additional form of testing and only extends support to statistical analysis as well.
To conclude the developers are bound to use obfuscation, capabilities but Progaurd is something that is not restricted to the security aspect. This may go on to trim the size of an app to a considerable extent. The unused codes are discarded, along with the renaming of classes with their numbers onto random characters. Enabling the same leads to a slimmer and optimized application. When it goes on to remove the unused codes, it goes on to remove the resources that are no longer referenced. Progaurd is not going to require any form of additional dependency. If there is no form of source code, it can eliminate the logging code.
Hackers are known to reduce information about the back-end servers, and code obfuscation when the question of reverse engineering comes into the picture. In a way, basic information is provided by statistical analysis. Though it does not provide full proof protection from the hackers, it may discourage them where they make an application really difficult to engineer.
Appsealing turns out to be the next generation application security solution that enables protection of an app with zero coding. A lot of industries are reliant on secure data as it incorporates features to secure the data. Without the use of robust security features that would compromise on the security of your app, the business can obtain a competitive advantage in the app market. It is better to get in touch with them and they are going to provide you with inputs on how to secure the app.
