Skip to content
AI Security

Interview question · Mobile Application Security

Threat-model a mobile banking app. Which controls belong on the device, and which must stay on the server?

The device is in the attacker's hand in half the scenarios. A strong model sorts threats by where the attacker sits, then puts every decision that moves money behind a check the phone cannot fake.

mediumNewPreparation tags: JPMorgan Chase, Apple, GoogleUpdated Nov 2026

The device is in the attacker's hand in half the scenarios. A strong model sorts threats by where the attacker sits, then puts every decision that moves money behind a check the phone cannot fake.

Make your first attempt

What would you say before reading the answer?

  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

signing in unlocks more free answers per topic

What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

You are asked to threat model a mobile banking app with transfers, card controls and chat support.

  1. Who are the attackers by position?
  2. What are the assets?
  3. What does on-device malware enable?
  4. Which controls address these?
  5. What about the chat support channel?
  6. What would the threat model conclude?

Each rung has a nudge, a model answer, the principle that carries over and the weak answer to avoid. Sign in free to open it.

UP NEXT ON YOUR JOURNEY
Next in this trackShould a mobile app pin certificates? If so, what do you pin, and how do you rotate keys without breaking the fleet?Next in this trackIn an authorised mobile pentest, how do you assess certificate pinning and TLS validation, and how do you report what you find?Next in this trackHow do apps detect rooted or jailbroken devices, why can it always be bypassed, and what should the detection actually be used for?
DISCUSSION · 0

No comments yet. Share a correction or a different way to answer it.