Massive volumes of financial, business, and personal data are gathered, stored, and processed by mobile applications. Attackers, who increasingly target mobile products due to their popularity and rapidly expanding user base, can exploit any flaw in the code or the logic of the app. Serious risks, ranging from data leaks to a total service disruption, can arise from even a minor security oversight.

That’s why the question of whether your mobile app needs a pentest is no longer just a “nice-to-have” consideration.  It’s a necessary part of responsible product development today.

Why a pentest is necessary for a mobile app

A pentest is a security assessment where experts simulate real attacks and look for weaknesses in places you’d least expect them. It’s a practical assessment of how resistant your application is to intrusion attempts, whether the authentication functions as intended, whether the backend is set up correctly, and whether the API stops unwanted access. It’s not a formality or a box to check.

A mobile app penetration testing service helps uncover issues that might have slipped through during development – problems that could turn into serious risks once the app is in production.

7 signs your mobile app needs a pentest

There are several situations that clearly signal it’s time to check your app’s security:

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  Launching a new app or MVP

Unfinished logic and data protection flaws are nearly always present in early versions. For an attacker, even a single weak spot can be enough to gain access to user accounts or internal systems.

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  Rolling out an update or a major new feature

Every new feature introduces the possibility of new vulnerabilities. Sometimes, even small changes can break existing authentication flows or open the door to injection attacks or API manipulation.

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  Handling personal or financial data

If your app stores or transmits addresses, phone numbers, card details, or medical information, any security flaw can lead to a data breach and serious legal consequences. In these cases, regular pentesting isn’t optional; it’s a basic requirement for responsible security.

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  Scaling the product and growing the user base

The probability of attacks rises with traffic. Hackers who wish to investigate the API, authorization procedures, or ways to get around the business logic are inevitably drawn to popular apps.

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  Getting ready for audits, investments, or market entry

Neglecting routine pentests can have a detrimental effect on partners’ and investors’ decisions, as they increasingly demand evidence of robust security procedures.

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  More than a year without a security audit

Attackers are evolving even more quickly than technology. Even if your app appears stable, new vulnerabilities can build up in the code without the team’s knowledge, and new threats can appear within months.

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  Unusual behavior or user grievances

Brute-force attempts, reverse engineering, or traffic interception may be indicated by reports of odd logins, authentication problems, or unusual behavior.

If even one of these points applies to your digital product, it’s a good time to take security seriously and request professional penetration testing services.

Why it’s better to have pentesting done by independent experts

Benefits that in-house developers just cannot match are provided by an independent team.

• First, they bring broader experience: external specialists work with dozens of different projects, see real-world attacks, and understand how threats evolve across various environments.
• Second, they have international exposure – they know the expectations of EU and US markets, as well as modern security standards and methodologies.
• Third, their expertise is demonstrated by the fact that outsourced teams typically comprise certified professionals (OSCP, CEH, CompTIA, AWS, and others).
• Independent experts also rely on a wider toolkit – from commercial scanners to custom frameworks designed to uncover complex logical vulnerabilities.
• Since they’re not influenced by internal assumptions or development biases, they can objectively assess how vulnerable the app really is in real-world conditions.

This kind of security review greatly lowers the likelihood of incidents and adds an additional layer of protection.

A mobile app pentest is a crucial component of a regular security strategy, particularly if the product is constantly changing, evolving, or handling sensitive data. It is not a one-time checkbox before launch or a response to an incident.

If you need an independent security assessment of your mobile app and a clear understanding of its protection level, teams like Datami can be a reliable partner for conducting a professional pentest.