How Mobile App Security Impacts Consumer Loyalty and Brand Trust

Mobile apps are often the primary — or only — touchpoints between brands and customers. As mobile engagement grows, so do consumer expectations around security and data privacy. Research shows 67% of smartphone users are worried about data security and privacy on their devices, marking a 13% increase from previous years. Only 50% of consumers believe that the value they get from online services outweighs their privacy concerns.

At the same time, 90% of organizations have experienced a mobile app security incident in the last year. The average cost of a single incident is just under $5 million.

The cost of these incidents stretches much further than monetary loss. Mobile apps handle a significant volume of sensitive user data — from financial details to personal identifiers. Consumers trust brands to keep this data secure. When a mobile app security breach occurs, that trust is shattered, leading to long-term damage to brand loyalty. Consumers have many options, and can easily move on to competitive apps they think are more secure and trustworthy.

A strong mobile app security posture can prove to customers that your company protects and secures their data. Let’s explore some of the best ways to improve your mobile app security, while protecting your customers and reducing your business’ overall risk.

Mobile app security measures that build consumer trust

Brands that prioritize mobile app security demonstrate their commitment to protecting user data. By following these essential security measures, developers can make a significant impact on their organizations and their customers:

1. End-to-end code hardening

Definition: Strengthening the app's code to prevent unauthorized access or modifications. Code hardening techniques make your code difficult to read without changing its functionality. These methods ensure that even if someone decompiles your app, they cannot easily understand its internal logic. This approach to mobile app security involves tactics such as encryption, stripping metadata, renaming classes and variables, and restructuring the code — without compromising the app’s behavior and user experience.

Impact: By ensuring the app's integrity, users can trust that the application works as planned without malicious interference.

2. Runtime protection

Definition: RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection) enhances app security by detecting and blocking suspicious behavior during runtime, preventing attackers from analyzing or manipulating the app through methods like jailbreaking, rooting, and hooking. By safeguarding sensitive data, stopping tampering, and preventing real-time exploitation, RASP helps protect consumers from data breaches, identity theft, and malware attacks.

Impact: Real-time protection assures users that the app can defend against active threats, providing peace of mind and reinforcing their confidence in the brand's security measures.

3. Mobile app security testing

Definition: Automated mobile application security testing leverages software tools that use one or more techniques to analyze the mobile app to detect potential vulnerabilities. These tools help verify your security posture against OWASP MASVS and MASTG requirements.

Impact: Mobile app security testing integrates with the DevOps toolchain, continuously checking your app’s security. The development team can easily and frequently run testing tools to detect and remediate security issues as quickly as possible.

4. Transparent data handling practices

Definition: Clearly communicating to users how their data is collected, used, and stored. This involves providing accessible privacy policies, obtaining explicit consent for data collection, and allowing users to manage their app permissions and data preferences.

Impact: Transparency empowers users to make informed decisions about their data, demonstrating the brand's respect for user privacy.

5. Embracing privacy-by-design

Definition: An approach to system and process development that integrates privacy and data protection into every stage of the design lifecycle. Privacy by Design principles include data minimization, user control over personal information, transparency, and secure data handling, ensuring compliance with privacy laws while improving trust and safeguarding user rights.

Impact: This concept ensures that companies proactively consider data privacy from the initial planning and design phases through deployment, minimizing risks to users' personal information and improving compliance.

The business case for investing in mobile app security

Organizations that embrace these mobile app security best practices not only improve trust with their users, but also experience many other business benefits that come with these protections.

1. Strengthening compliance with global regulations

Mobile apps handle vast amounts of personal and sensitive data, making them a target for cyber threats. Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other privacy laws worldwide impose strict requirements on how organizations collect, store, and process user data.

Non-compliance can result in severe penalties, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. Investing in mobile app security ensures that your app follows best practices for data protection, such as encrypting user data, securing communications, and preventing unauthorized access. By prioritizing security, businesses reduce the risk of accidental data exposure or breaches that could lead to regulatory fines. Plus, demonstrating compliance with these regulations signals to customers and partners that your organization takes privacy seriously.

2. Competitive advantage

In a highly competitive app market, security can be a key differentiator. Nearly all (95%) respondents to the Assessing Mobile App Security report believe that prioritizing mobile app security acts as a unique selling point for their mobile applications. With growing public awareness of cybersecurity threats and data breaches, users are becoming more selective about which apps they trust with their information.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce, where apps regularly process sensitive information, security becomes a core value proposition that sets brands apart. Secure apps can also open new market opportunities, such as partnerships with security-conscious organizations or entering regions with strict data protection laws.

3. Reducing financial risks

The financial consequences of a data breach can be devastating. Costs associated with a breach include regulatory fines, legal fees, compensation to affected users, and operational downtime. As mentioned above, the average cost of a mobile app security incident is around $5 million, not to mention the long-term impact on customer trust and brand reputation. Proactively investing in mobile app security significantly reduces the likelihood of such incidents by addressing potential issues before attackers can exploit them. By preventing breaches, businesses avoid direct financial losses and the hidden costs of rebuilding brand trust after a security incident.

Mobile app security protects both users and your business

Mobile app security is essential for building and maintaining consumer trust and loyalty. As people become more aware of security risks, they expect brands to take strong measures to protect their personal information. Security breaches don’t just cause immediate financial losses; they damage a brand’s reputation and weaken customer relationships.

By implementing key security measures, such as code hardening, RASP, and clear data handling practices, businesses can show users that their applications are safe. This not only reduces the risk of costly incidents but also helps brands stand out as responsible and trustworthy. Think of mobile app security as an investment in both protecting users and safeguarding the company’s long-term success.

Learn more about the risks for releasing an unsecured mobile app and security best practices. Access the Assessing Mobile App Security report.