Mobile app security leader Approov introduced new protections against sophisticated AI-driven attacks – protections that the major mobile app stores don’t provide.
Approov 3.5 introduces advanced attestation that also directly addresses security challenges posed by regulations like the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The mobile landscape is changing dramatically. New rules are opening up app distribution beyond traditional app stores, while automated threats are making it easier than ever for bad actors to clone legitimate apps, steal data, and commit fraud. These attacks increasingly devastate users financially and can cause irreparable damage to a brand’s reputation, and are increasingly impactful now that mobile traffic accounts for fully 64% of all website traffic.
Approov’s cloud-based verification is particularly crucial given increased regulatory pressures on brands to ensure their apps confirm with EU’s Digital Markets Act, which mandates that Apple allow third-party app stores and app downloads directly from developers’ websites for EU users. The DMA goal is a worthy one – increasing competition in the app ecosystem by letting users access apps directly from retailers, marketplaces and developers, rather than being restricted to Apple’s own App Store – but it further increases the risk of fraudulent apps.
Advanced Security Against Modern Threats:
- Hardware-Backed Security (Android): Cryptographic keys are now stored in a secure, isolated “vault” on the device’s hardware, making it virtually impossible to clone an app’s identity.
- Immutable App Signature: Approov creates a unique fingerprint for the app upon installation, continuously verifying its integrity to ensure it has not been tampered with or repackaged with malware.
- Memory Dump Detection: A new defense that actively blocks attempts by attackers to scrape sensitive information, like AI secrets or user credentials, directly from the device’s memory.
- Threat Analytics to Defend Against AI-Powered Attacks: The cloud-native platform provides a real-time view of attack patterns, allowing security teams to dynamically issue over-the-air (OTA) updates to policies that can block emerging AI threats without needing to issue an app update.
- Unmatched Performance and User Experience: Cross-platform security checks for iOS, Android and HarmonyOS are now an order of magnitude faster at app startup than basic checks from Google, Apple or Huawei.
“Millions have had their data stolen or savings lost by misplacing faith in apps that were ultimately compromised,” Approov CEO Ted Miracco said. “We’ve proven that robust security doesn’t have to come at the cost of user experience. With Approov 3.5, brands can easily and affordably add the API protection their customers deserve and rightfully expect.
“The mobile world is at an inflection point, particularly with regulations like the DMA creating new security gaps. Headlines constantly show the consequences for companies whose apps are compromised. Our mission is to provide certainty in this uncertain environment, ensuring that only genuine users on safe devices can access your services, thwarting the entry point to fraud – mobile app attacks, bots and cloning.”
