Any code can be reversed or tampered with especially on a jailbroken or rooted mobile device. As apps become more advanced, they often have intricate logic flows. That logic likely interacts with an organization’s backend IT infrastructure. Tampering with or hacking an app can put sensitive processes, systems, networks, and data in the hands of an attacker that can be used to attack traditional IT assets.

When it comes to mobile gaming applications, making it difficult to reverse an app, tamper with an app, or even use a debugger with an app dramatically impacts the economics of the attack. Leveraging a compiler that generates obfuscated code makes it extremely challenging for disassemblers to make sense of the code and its flow. Encrypting application files, resources, and assets makes changes to the application logic more difficult and can even prevent a modified app from running if the logic has been tampered with. Creating an app that is debugger aware can help mitigate reverse engineering when connecting an app to a debugger. Mobile app protection, from the perspective of app development, is something that all security professionals should consider when evaluating their security posture.