How to Encrypt Data at Rest in Android or iOS Apps

Learn to Prevent Data Breach in Mobile apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is Data at Rest?

Data at Rest is data that has reached a destination and is not being accessed or used. Due to its nature, Data at Rest is of increasing concern to businesses, government agencies and other institutions, which recognize the potential for data breach. These organizations realize that not only database management systems and file servers but also mobile devices need to have this data protected; the longer data is left unused in storage, the more likely it might be retrieved by unauthorized individuals outside the network.

How does Appdome Protect Data at Rest?

Using Appdome Data at Rest encryption, all data generated by the app is encrypted at runtime using industry-standard AES 256  cryptographic protocols. You can also choose to encrypt data in use/in memory, where all data temporarily stored in application memory is encrypted before it is sent/saved. With Appdome, encryption is accomplished dynamically, without any dependencies on the data structure, databases or file structures.

Note:

While the certificate image displayed below belongs to an Android app, the instructions and data in this article refer to both iOS and Android.

Prerequisites for Using Data at Rest Encryption:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Prevent Data Breach , you’ll need:

• Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
• A license for Data at Rest Encryption
• Mobile App (.ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android)
• Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)

Prevent Data Breach on Mobile apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Prevent Data Breach without an SDK or gateway:

1. Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.

   1. Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System

   2. Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
   3. Mobile App Formats: .ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android
   4. Data at Rest Encryption Compatible With: Obj-C, C+, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more

2. Build the feature: Data at Rest Encryption.

   1. Building Data at Rest Encryption by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Data at Rest Encryption feature as shown below:
      

      Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Data at Rest Encryption feature
      Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required).

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the Data at Rest Encryption feature via Appdome Console, to add the Data at Rest Encryption feature to this Fusion Set.

      3. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set, as shown in Figure 1 above, and get the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):

         Figure 2: Fusion Set Detail Summary
         Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, App Center, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Cirlce CI or other system:

         1. Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
         2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository

   2. Building the Data at Rest Encryption feature via Appdome Console

      To build the Data at Rest Encryption protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.

      1. Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Security Tab > TOTALData™ Encryption section.

         Like all other options in ONEShield™, Data at Rest Encryption is turned on by default, as shown below:

         Figure 3: Data at Rest Encryption option
         Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging.

      2. How: Toggle (turn ON) Data at Rest Encryption, as shown below.
         If needed, Customize the Threat Notification to be displayed to the mobile end-user in a standard OS dialog notification when Appdome Prevents Data Breach.

         Figure 3: Prevent Data Breach option
         Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging.

      3. When you select the Data at Rest Encryption you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Data at Rest Encryption

         

         Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Data at Rest Encryption protection

      4. Extra Configuration with Data at Rest Encryption:

         1. Smart Media Sharing

            Apply secured Media files and content handoff to external and embedded media players. Secured handoff is done on-demand, and on-the-fly.

         2. Exclude the Following Files

            Exclude list of files and directories. You can add specific file names, sets of filenames with wildcard characters and directories separated by commas (e.g. log.txt, *.jpg, tmp/*).

         3. Exclude Media Files (.mp3...)

            When turned ON, media files can be shared to leverage external media apps and browsers.

         4. Exclude Web Files (.html...)

            When turned ON, local web file caching is enabled and will not be encrypted for web-intense apps.

      5. Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).

   Congratulations!  The Data at Rest Encryption protection is now added to the mobile app

3. Certify the Data at Rest Encryption feature in Mobile Apps.

   After building Data at Rest Encryption, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Data at Rest Encryption protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Data at Rest Encryption protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:

   Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

   Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Data at Rest Encryption has been added to each Mobile app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Data at Rest Encryption and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app