App Store and Play Store Security Guidelines Essentials Quiz Quiz

Assess your understanding of core security guidelines required for app submissions to leading digital storefronts with this quiz. Learn key practices and compliance requirements essential for secure and successful mobile app publishing.

1. Secure Permissions

   Which practice best aligns with app security guidelines when requesting user permissions during app installation?

   1. Request only necessary permissions needed for core app functionality.
   2. Automatically accept permissions without user interaction.
   3. Ask for all available permissions to avoid future updates.
   4. Hide the list of permissions from users.

   Explanation: Requesting only the permissions essential to the app's main features ensures user privacy and security. Asking for all available permissions is discouraged, as it increases risk and violates guidelines. Hiding the list of permissions lacks transparency, and automatically accepting permissions bypasses critical user consent steps.

2. Handling User Data

   Which statement best reflects the recommended approach to managing user data for app store compliance?

   1. Encrypt sensitive user data both in transit and at rest.
   2. Share user data with third parties by default.
   3. Delete all user data without user consent.
   4. Store sensitive data without encryption for easy access.

   Explanation: Encrypting sensitive user data both in transit and at rest is a fundamental requirement in security guidelines, helping to prevent unauthorized access. Storing data unencrypted exposes users to risks. Automatically sharing data with third parties or deleting user information without consent violates privacy and security standards.

3. Use of SDKs and Libraries

   When integrating third-party SDKs, what is a key security guideline developers should follow?

   1. Skip updating SDKs to avoid compatibility issues.
   2. Ignore permission requests made by SDK components.
   3. Use any SDK found online regardless of its source.
   4. Verify the security and reputation of SDKs before including them.

   Explanation: Checking the security and reputation of SDKs helps minimize vulnerabilities and protects users by ensuring trusted components are used. Using random SDKs from the internet increases security risks, while ignoring updates can leave users exposed to known threats. Ignoring SDK-generated permission requests can further compromise security.

4. App Updates and Vulnerabilities

   How should developers address discovered vulnerabilities in their published apps?

   1. Issue prompt updates to patch security vulnerabilities.
   2. Wait until the next major version to make changes.
   3. Remove the app from the store immediately.
   4. Ignore vulnerabilities if users have not complained.

   Explanation: Updating apps promptly to fix vulnerabilities helps protect users and aligns with app store security guidelines. Waiting for major releases leaves risks unaddressed. Ignoring vulnerabilities is irresponsible, while removing the app entirely is unnecessary unless the risk is severe and cannot be immediately remediated.

5. Secure Authentication

   Which authentication practice meets basic security requirements for mobile apps?

   1. Display user passwords openly on login screens.
   2. Allow unlimited failed login attempts without any restriction.
   3. Store passwords in a hashed and salted format.
   4. Save user passwords as plain text in local files.

   Explanation: Storing passwords using hashing and salting helps protect users in case of data breaches. Plain text storage of passwords is highly insecure. Displaying passwords openly or allowing unlimited login attempts without checks violates basic security practices and increases risk to users.

6. App Store Submission Content

   What type of content is explicitly prohibited under security and privacy guidelines for app submission?

   1. Official country flags as app icons.
   2. Open-source fonts for display purposes.
   3. Malicious code designed to steal user data.
   4. Background images with geometric patterns.

   Explanation: Including malicious code to steal user data is strictly forbidden by all app store and play store security policies. Using open-source fonts, official flags, or geometric backgrounds does not pose a security risk if compliant with other policies. Only the first option directly violates security guidelines.

7. In-App Payment Security

   According to marketplace guidelines, how should sensitive payment data be handled within an app?

   1. Ask users to send payment information via public chat.
   2. Store payment data locally on user devices in plain text.
   3. Process payment details only through secure, approved channels.
   4. Collect card details by email without encryption.

   Explanation: Processing payments through secure, approved channels protects user financial information and meets payment compliance standards. Requesting payment information by email, in plain text, or via chat is insecure and non-compliant. These practices put both users and app publishers at risk.

8. Privacy Policy Requirement

   What must an app developer include with their app to comply with privacy guidelines?

   1. A decorative app icon with no description.
   2. Instructions for gameplay only.
   3. A list of all code contributors.
   4. A clear privacy policy detailing data collection and use.

   Explanation: A privacy policy explaining how user data is collected and utilized is typically mandatory for app store compliance. Gameplay instructions, a contributor list, or a decorative icon do not address user privacy or security requirements as outlined by app store policies.

9. Obfuscation and Security

   Why is it recommended to use code obfuscation when publishing mobile apps?

   1. To hide the app's icon from users.
   2. To ensure users cannot see the app in the store.
   3. To make it harder for attackers to reverse engineer and exploit the app.
   4. To increase the size of the app deliberately.

   Explanation: Code obfuscation complicates attempts to reverse engineer an app, strengthening its defense against potential attacks. Increasing the app size intentionally serves no security purpose. Hiding icons or making apps invisible in stores is unrelated to code obfuscation and security.

10. Children's App Compliance

    When developing an app for children, which security and privacy requirement should be prioritized?

    1. Share user data for marketing without restrictions.
    2. Request location access by default.
    3. Show targeted ads without limitation.
    4. Obtain parental consent before collecting any personal information.

    Explanation: Obtaining parental consent ensures compliance with child privacy regulations and protects minors. Showing unrestricted ads, requesting unnecessary location access, or sharing data freely violates both privacy and ethical standards when targeting children.