How to Obfuscate Security Features on Appdome

Learn to Enforce Obfuscate Security Features in Android apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is the 'Obfuscate Security Feature' on Appdome?

The Obfuscate Security Features protection is an integral component of Appdome’s ONEShield suite. This innovative tool is specifically designed to hide and safeguard Appdome’s unique code. In essence, it offers businesses the benefit of using Appdome’s robust security solutions while keeping their choice of third-party security vendor undisclosed and preventing attackers from discovering where Appdome’s protections are located or how they work.

Why Use Appdome's 'Obfuscate Security Features'?

Prerequisites for Using Obfuscate Security Features:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Enforce Obfuscate Security Features , you’ll need:

• Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
• A license for Obfuscate Security Features
• Mobile App (.apk or .aab for Android)
• Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)

Enforce Obfuscate Security Features on Android apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Enforce Obfuscate Security Features 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. Android Formats: .apk or .aab
   4. Obfuscate Security Features Compatible With: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps

2. Build the feature: Obfuscate Security Features.

   1. Building Obfuscate Security Features by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Obfuscate Security Features feature as shown below:
      

      Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Obfuscate Security Features 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 Obfuscate Security Features feature via Appdome Console, to add the Obfuscate Security Features 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 Obfuscate Security Features feature via Appdome Console

      To build the Obfuscate Security Features protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.

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

         Like all other options in ONEShield™, Obfuscate Security Features is turned on by default, as shown below:

         Figure 3: Obfuscate Security Features 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) Obfuscate Security Features, as shown below.

         Figure 3: Enforce Obfuscate Security Features option

      3. When you select the Obfuscate Security Features you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Obfuscate Security Features

         

         Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Obfuscate Security Features protection

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

   Congratulations!  The Obfuscate Security Features protection is now added to the mobile app

3. Certify the Obfuscate Security Features feature in Android Apps.

   After building Obfuscate Security Features, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Obfuscate Security Features protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Obfuscate Security Features 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 Obfuscate Security Features has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Obfuscate Security Features and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app