Convert Win32 applications using local interprocess communications (IPC) to #mobile #apps that securely send #data to each other via contracts.
In the 90s, platforms and programming languages allowed developers to call functions that were increasingly farther away from the calling code. Calling into subroutines gave way to instantiating classes to call functions. Calling exported functions in separate C DLLs gave way to using Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) to call functions in separate programs. You could even embed the UI of a different program like Excel inside your app.
Developers went nuts with this stuff and started calling functions or passing messages to other local apps using Named Pipes, Mailslots, shared databases, TCP, UDP, message queues and shared files. On Windows Mobile, point-to-point queues were used with multiple executables to get around app memory limits. The problem with IPC is that security took a back seat and apps were just asking to be hacked as they listened for incoming connections like little web servers.
Today’s modern mobile platforms don’t allow this. Platforms require things like contracts, intents and extensions. They declare API interactions and what information can be shared between two apps as well as the files they can open. Users are prompted to give their permission to this type of interaction between apps which prevents data leakage at the device edge.
Reduce risk to your business by migrating your apps to a more secure method of data sharing between app sandboxes. What is your organization doing to secure app data sharing?
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