February 16, 2025

Security Practices for Cloud App Development

Best Security Practices for Cloud Application Development

Best Security Practices for Cloud Application Development

Discover essential Best security practices for cloud application development, ensuring data safety and compliance with the latest industry standards.

Here’s a quick summary about the importance of cloud apps, their features, functions, benefits and security best practices!

Cloud application development allows creating applications that run on cloud or virtual platform. These applications are developed in a cloud environment and run in a web browser. Such cloud apps make use of cloud infrastructure – storage, messaging, and databases, to distribute processing logic and data storage between the client and server sides.

Cloud application development involves several stages of software development- (1) Market research, (2) Hiring a team of developers, (3) Considering features and architecture, (4) Designing the app, and (5) Development and testing.

Features of Cloud Apps

Some cloud computing concepts and development frameworks:

  • Cloud apps are accessible from any internet-connected device, such as a desktop, tablet, or mobile, and even temporarily store information on a user’s device to allow offline access.
  • Cloud computing create a virtual environment for software builds and project management, which leads to improved agility, faster time to market, and increased performance.

(Tentative) Technology Stack for Creating Cloud Based Apps

  • Databases: MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS, Firestore, Cosmos DB, Firebase Realtime Database
  • Provisionary Programming languages: Python, Java, Node.js, .NET,  Ruby, Go, TypeScript,  PHP
  • Provisionary Containers and orchestration:    Kubernetes, Docker, Amazon ECS, OpenShift
  • Provisionary Frameworks: Django, Spring Boot, Flask, .NET Core, Express.js, Angular, Ruby on Rails, React, Vue.js
  • Provisionary Frontend: Angular, React, Bootstrap, Vue.js, Tailwind CSS, and Materialize
  • Others: Containers, Virtualization, Kubernetes, Microservices, Docker, and Serverless

Protocols/Best Security Practices/Ground Rules for Cloud App Development

To secure data in the cloud, following protocols must be adhered to:

  • Encrypting data at rest, in use, and in transit ensures that only authorized users’ access it.
  • IAM prevents unauthorized access by reducing the chances of attack.
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Identification of vulnerabilities early in the development cycle reduces the risk of hacking the network.
  • Following compliance standards ensures the safety of data.
  • Performing regular vulnerability testing and penetration testing maintains strong cloud security.
  • Implementing API security measures is important.
  • Monitoring accessed web applications and managing user browser sessions identifies security issues.
  • Updating cloud applications and servers
  • Blocking unsanctioned cloud applications prevent security risks.
  • Regulations like HIPAA, CCPA, and PCI-DSS determine policies, governance, and security requirements.
  • Organizations use monitoring tools to inspect web traffic and attempts to access their networks and resources, and then block suspicious or malicious traffic.
  • Security Automation Orchestration and Response (SOAR) automates incident response throughout the detection, triage, investigation, and containment of incidents.

How do Cloud Apps differ from Web Apps?

DifferencesWeb AppsCloud Apps
DefinitionWeb apps are accessible via web browsers. However, a shortcut to the PWA gets created on mobile phone screen, which work with the speed of native application.These apps are accessible via a local server and executed on the cloud environment.
FeaturesRuns on multiple platforms that make it cross-platform compatible. Minimizes the risk of compatibility issues. Requires less maintenance and support from the developer’s end. 
TypesWeb apps comes in many forms:
  • Static web apps

  • Dynamic web apps

  • Single page apps

  • Multiple page apps

  • Animated web apps

  • Web apps with CMS

  • E-commerce web apps

  • Progressive web apps
  • Cloud apps comes in three forms:
  • SaaS or Software as a Service

  • PaaS or Platform as a Service

  • IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service
  •  
    Applications Cloud apps are extensively used for file sharing and storage, order entry, word processing, inventory management, financial accounting, data collection, and customer relationship management.
    Benefits
  • Such apps work on any device with an internet connection.

  • These offer consistent user experience across different mobile devices, such as Android and iPhone.

  • Customers’ data is stored in the cloud, where the hosting provider is responsible for its security.

  • Multiple users are able to access same version of the app in real time.

  • Users accesses the app in areas with limited internet connectivity.

  • Scalable web apps handles heavy workloads, maintain response time, and simplify server maintenance.
  • Provides large computing capabilities, online and offline.

  • Provides access to information from any device or place.

  • The performance of the availability of cloud apps enhances profitability and streamlines workflows.

  • Serves multiple consumers with virtual and physical needs.
  • How to make a choice between the two?

    Choosing between web apps and cloud apps depends on your needs: web apps offer familiar browser access, while cloud apps provide flexibility and offline functionality.

    Why are cloud apps important?

    Cloud apps are helpful in:

    • Cost reduction: Cloud service providers offer their services through subscription models.
    • Security: Cloud data is secure with expert encrypting.
    • Disaster recovery: Cloud data is always available 24*7.
    • Collaboration: Cloud apps enables collaboration.
    • Flexibility: It is easier to scale cloud applications.
    • Automatic software updates: Cloud apps can automatically update.

    Features/Advantages/Benefits/Pros/Things to Consider

    Refer this list to know the importance of cloud application development:

    • Analytics: Businesses use the cloud’s resources to process and analyze large data sets in real time. Examples include machine learning, real-time data analytics, and data warehousing.
    • Backup: Cloud apps are not stored on any physical location, thus backup is easy.
    • File storage: Cloud apps can easily be share, archive, and save. E.g.: Google Drive, Dropbox, and Shutterstock.
    • Education: Cloud computing enables many online learning platforms which only function in real time.
    • Social networking: Social media applications and chat servers also use it.
    • E-commerce: Businesses implement their apps on the cloud to ease out payment processing, accept orders online, store inventory, and track sales.
    • Entertainment: Cloud computing is use in the entertainment industry for online games and video conferencing.

    Conclusion

    A cloud application development company (1) creates, (2) manages, (3) tests, and (4) deploys cloud applications. Some cloud processing happens on the user’s device, while some happens on a remote server. These are accessible over the internet, instead of being installed on individual devices or servers. Cloud application development services are prevalent because they reduce development costs, allow for remote teams, and shorten project times.