From Theory to Process to Practice: Cracking Mobile and IoT Security and Vulnerability Management | An OWASP AppSec Global Lisbon 2024 Conversation with Abraham Aranguren | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

Guest: Abraham Aranguren, Managing Director at 7ASecurity [@7aSecurity]

On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrahamaranguren/

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Hosts:

Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast [@RedefiningCyber]

On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martin

Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast

On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli

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Episode Notes

In this On Location episode recorded in Lisbon at the OWASP AppSec Global event, Sean Martin engages in a comprehensive discussion with Abraham Aranguren, a cybersecurity trainer skilled at hacking IoT, iOS, and Android devices. The conversation delves into the intricacies of mobile application security, touching on both the technical and procedural aspects that organizations must consider to build and maintain secure apps.

Abraham Aranguren, known for his expertise in cybersecurity training, shares compelling insights into identifying IoT vulnerabilities without physically having the device. By reverse engineering applications, one can uncover potential security flaws and understand how apps communicate with their IoT counterparts. For instance, Aranguren describes exercises where students analyze mobile apps to reveal hardcoded passwords and unsecured Wi-Fi connections used to manage devices like drones.

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around real-world examples of security lapses in mobile applications. Aranguren details an incident involving a Chinese government app that harvests personal data from users' phones, highlighting the serious privacy implications of such vulnerabilities. Another poignant example is Hong Kong's COVID-19 contact-tracing app, which stored sensitive user information insecurely, revealing how even high-budget applications can suffer from critical security flaws if not properly tested.

Sean Martin, drawing from his background in software quality assurance, emphasizes the importance of establishing clear, repeatable processes and workflows to ensure security measures are consistently applied throughout the development and deployment phases. He and Aranguren agree that while developers need to be educated in secure coding practices, organizations must also implement robust processes, including code reviews, automated tools for static analysis, and third-party audits to identify and rectify potential vulnerabilities.

Aranguren stresses the value of pentests, noting that organizations often show significant improvement over multiple tests. He shares experiences of clients who, after several engagements, greatly reduced the number of exploitable vulnerabilities. Regular, comprehensive testing, combined with a proactive approach to fixing identified issues, helps create a robust security posture, ultimately making applications harder to exploit and dissuading potential attackers.

For businesses developing apps, this episode underscores the necessity of integrating security from the ground up, continuously educating developers, enforcing centralized security controls, and utilizing pentests as a tool for both validation and education. The ultimate goal is to make applications resilient enough to deter attackers, ensuring both the business and its users are protected.

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Resources

LeaveHomeSafe Pentest Report: https://7asecurity.com/reports/pentest-report-leavehomesafe.pdf

CoverDrop Pentest Report: https://7asecurity.com/reports/pentest-report-coverdrop.pdf

Why You Need a Pentest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBVTlKrLw-k

Learn more about OWASP AppSec Global Lisbon 2024: https://lisbon.globalappsec.org/

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