How to Share Encrypted Documents Between Mobile Apps

Secure Document Sharing between mobile apps is a data leakage prevention (DLP) mechanism, typically enforced by an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution. If implemented, mobile users are prevented from sharing documents between non-trusted apps. Document sharing is only allowed between trusted mobile apps. This knowledge Base article provides step-by-step instructions for using Appdome to share encrypted documents between mobile apps.

How to Share Encrypted Documents Between Mobile Apps

Appdome is a no-code mobile app security platform designed to add security features in mobile apps.

Appdome’s no-code mobile app security platform offers mobile developers, DevSec and security professionals a convenient and reliable way to protect Android and iOS apps without coding. When a user clicks “Build My App,” Appdome leverages a microservice architecture filled with 1000s of security plugins, and an adaptive code generation engine that matches the correct required plugins to the development environment, frameworks, and methods in each app.

Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured apps. There is no SDK and no library to manually code or implement in the app. The Appdome technology adds the relevant standards, frameworks, stores, and logic to the app automatically, with no manual development work at all.

Likewise, there are no required infrastructure changes or configuration changes required inside the app. The Appdome technology adds any EMM SDK and relevant standards, frameworks, configurations and more to the app automatically, with no manual development work at all. The monitoring of documents access from the app’s code including its libraries, would ordinarily require a developer to implement. Using Appdome, mobile apps will access secure document sharing as if this feature was natively coded to the app.

Mobile apps may generate or contain confidential or secret documents and files that need to be shared with an external app. However, standard document viewing or editing apps don’t often come with safeguards that protect mobile app documents or files. A malicious app or user may attempt to access these documents or files. As such, most EMM vendors provide a secure document reader or editor which can be used to enable secure sharing for apps managed by the EMM.   If customers integrate an EMM SDK to a mobile app, they can restrict viewing and editing to only be allowed by the secure document reader or editor provided by the EMM. Appdome ensures that documents accessed through an Appdome-Built app are opened exclusively by the EMM’s secure document app (or are blocked if no such app exists).

Prerequisites for Building Secure Document Sharing on Appdome

In order to use Appdome’s no code implementation of Secure Document Sharing on Appdome, you’ll need:

• Appdome account – IDEAL or Higher
• Mobile App – Android (.apk or .aab) or iOS (.ipa)
• An account with an Appdome supported EMM vendor: Microsoft Intune, VMWare Workspace ONE (AirWatch), IBM MaaS360, MobileIron or BlackBerry Dynamics
• Configure a DLP policy that supports secure browser Lock-down. See below for 2 examples:
  • Microsoft Intune DLP configuration instructions can be found here
  • BlackBerry Dynamics DLP configuration instructions can be found here
• Application shared key: This is is a random string of characters that you will Build into each of the apps for which you want to enable secure sharing
• Signing Credentials (e.g., signing certificates and provisioning profile)

4 Easy Steps to Share Encrypted Documents Between Mobile Apps

Follow these step-by-step instructions to add Secure Document Sharing to Any Mobile App quickly and easily:

Upload a Mobile App to Your Account

Please follow these steps to add a mobile app to your Appdome account.

If you don’t have an Appdome account, click here to create an account.

From the “Build” tab, Add Secure Document Sharing

Select the Build Tab. Note: a blue underline will appear showing the step is active

Beneath the Build Tab, you will find several service options. Select Management. Note: a blue highlight will appear showing the category is active.

1. Enable the EMM Services toggle button. A list of available EMM providers will appear.
2. Choose your desired EMM.
3. In the BoostEMM™ by Appdome section, toggle the Secure Document Sharing “ON”.
   Note: Microsoft Intune Android users Already have all of Appdome BoostEMM™ features enabled, so this step can be skipped.
4. Click Build My App.

Kai Kenan