Mobile Application Vetting 101

The NCCoE Buzz: Mobile Security Edition

What is it?

Imagine you’ve found “THE” mobile application to enhance your organization’s productivity. How do you know if the benefits outweigh the potential risks of installing the mobile app?

Mobile application vetting (MAV) services are used by enterprises to scan applications for potentially unwanted behavior. Application vetting can also be used to ensure that applications meet an organization’s security and privacy requirements.

How does it work?

MAV services use a variety of static, dynamic, and behavioral analysis techniques to determine if an application demonstrates any behaviors that pose a security or privacy risk. Once analysis is complete, the MAV tool generates a comprehensive report of the application’s security and privacy characteristics.

How does it address security and privacy concerns?

MAV services provide organizations with the information necessary to make risk-based decisions when selecting/developing mobile applications for the organization. The report from the application vetting service contains various findings, such as the use of in-app purchases, insecure network communications, or exposure of sensitive personal or device information. Based on these findings, enterprises can make informed decisions on whether to block problematic applications from being installed on company devices.

What can you do?

Download our SP 1800-21 and 1800-22 guides to learn more about application vetting and other mobile device security and privacy capabilities, including how these solutions can strengthen the security of your enterprise environment.