Glossary

Code obfuscation is transforming a software program into code that’s difficult to disassemble and understand yet maintains its original functionality. In this way, the software remains completely functional but extremely resistant to reverse engineering and tampering attacks.

App security refers to the practices and policies that shield high-value mobile applications from reverse engineering, tampering, and other app-centric attacks. App security includes application hardening to obscure code, runtime application self-protection (RASP) and self-healing measures, White-Box Cryptography to encrypt critical data & keys, and real-time app threat telemetry for closed-loop threat intelligence as the original. In this way, the software remains completely functional but extremely challenging  to reverse engineer.

An attack can occur whenever an organization’s mobile app is accessible “in the wild” — apps available via public app stores.

Application hardening is a process of taking a finished application and making it more difficult to reverse engineer and tamper. Combined with secure coding practices, application hardening is a best practice for companies to protect their app's IP and prevent misuse, cheating, and repackaging by bad users.

Digital.ai’s application and mobile app protection solutions go beyond Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) by providing layered and adaptive app protection and data encryption ensuring apps are protected against run-time attacks, are defended against reverse engineering, and are able to maintain secure communications with key encryption.

Web application security refers to the protection of both browser endpoints, and the APIs they connect to, against attack from Magecart/formjacking-style attacks, malicious browser extensions, banking trojans, malvertisements, and other cyber security threats. When addressed properly—including JavaScript protection, threat detection, and limiting API connections to known good sites, along with defensive measures that can shut down web app functionality in the event of an attack—effective web application security enables customers to detect and protect against active threats, protecting businesses and consumers from data breaches and financial losses.

White-Box Cryptography uses encryption, obfuscation, and mathematical transformations to secure keys and critical data inside applications running in untrusted environments. Common practice is not to assume cryptographic keys will be stored in untrusted environments, making them vulnerable to application attacks, such as reverse engineering.