Research Paper Undergraduate 1,219 words

Mobile Application Security: Threats, Policies, and Best Practices

~7 min read 5 sections Technology · Cybersecurity

Abstract

This paper examines the growing security challenges associated with mobile applications in organizational settings. It reviews literature identifying major threat vectors, including malware, unsecured networks, and insufficient security policies, and discusses six key reasons why mobile app security remains inadequate in many organizations. The paper also presents practical policy recommendations from industry consultants covering system updates, device configurations, app validation, and network safety. With mobile app usage surpassing traditional computer-based internet access, the paper argues that organizations of all sizes must prioritize and formalize mobile application security policies to protect proprietary, sensitive, and personal data from increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Key Takeaways

Introduction: Overview of mobile app security research scope
Research Summary: Growing mobile app threats and attack statistics
Identification and Discussion of Policy Issues: Six organizational failures driving security gaps
Recommendations for Improving Policy Implementation: Practical security policies across system and network domains
Conclusion: Key findings and call for organizational policy action

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What makes this paper effective

The paper moves logically from problem identification to policy analysis to actionable recommendations, giving it a clear and practical structure.
It grounds its claims in specific statistics — such as the 16 million attacks in 2014 and the 25% year-over-year increase — lending credibility to the urgency it conveys.
The use of a formatted policy recommendation table (Table 1) translates abstract security advice into concrete, implementable steps, making the paper useful to practitioners as well as students.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper effectively synthesizes multiple secondary sources to build a cumulative argument. Rather than relying on a single authority, it layers findings from industry publications, academic journals, and professional consultants, then integrates them into a coherent policy narrative. This technique — source triangulation — strengthens the paper's conclusions by showing convergence across independent bodies of evidence.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with a brief framing introduction, followed by a research summary that establishes the scale and nature of the mobile security threat. The third section identifies six specific policy deficiencies drawing on survey data. The fourth section pivots to solutions, presenting a detailed table of recommendations organized by security domain (system, configurations, apps, and network). The conclusion synthesizes the key takeaways without introducing new material, reinforcing the paper's applied focus.

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Essay 1,219 words

Introduction

Today, growing numbers of companies of all sizes and types are relying on mobile applications to improve their performance in ways that provide a competitive advantage. This approach, however, is not without its constraints — most especially the security of the data that is accessed and shared on mobile devices. This paper reviews the relevant literature to identify potential security threats to mobile applications and discusses associated policy issues, followed by recommendations for improving policy implementation. A summary of the research and important findings concerning mobile application security is provided in the conclusion.

4 Sections Hidden · 850 words

Research Summary310 words

Mobile applications, or "apps," are "a set of coded instructions used by a mobile device to solve a problem" (Zamfiroiu, 2014, p. 131). Some indication of the increasing popularity of mobile apps can…

Identification and Discussion of Policy Issues175 words

The research to date has identified six main reasons that have contributed to this lack of mobile app security:

Recommendations for Improving Policy Implementation270 words

Although every organization's mobile app systems will differ in some respects, they all share common vulnerabilities that should serve as the basis for developing and implementing relevant mobile security policies. For example, Crosman (2012) recommends that organizations ensure they have the…

Conclusion95 words

The research was consistent in showing that the use of mobile applications is on the increase, with more users now accessing the Internet with their mobile devices than with traditional computers. An unfortunate but predictable consequence of this increase in mobile app…

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References

Crosman, P. (2012, May 30). viaForensics offers practical advice on securing mobile apps. American Banker, 177(83), 37.

Dospinescu, O. & Strainu, R-M. (2014, October 1). Implementing monitoring systems in mobile applications — a case study. Informatica Economica, 18(4), 120–123.

Pocatilu, P. & Boja, C. (2013, April 1). Syncing mobile applications with cloud storage services. Informatica Economica, 17(2), 96–101.

Tips for better mobile security. (2016). NowSecure. Retrieved from https://info.nowsecure.com/rs/nowsecure/images/20%20Tips%20to%20better%20mobile%20security_NowSecure.pdf

Unsecured mobile apps are putting organizations at risk. (2015, May/June). Information Management, 49(3), 8.

Zamfiroiu, A. (2014, January 1). Factors influencing the quality of mobile applications. Informatica Economica, 18(1), 131–134.

Key Concepts in This Paper

Mobile App Security Malware Threats Policy Implementation Data Vulnerability Device Configuration Two-Factor Authentication Network Safety App Validation Enterprise Risk Security Software