Android Security : how to protect the local files/db in my application and access to it with no problem?

Question

I have an application that copies some files (db, images, pdf, texte files) locally and needs to access to this files to allow the good working of the app. - queries to the bdd
- files like pdfs and images that needs to be displayed
- text files that needs to be read by the app

My question is how to protect all that files from the users ? This is sensible informations, and I don't want all the users can access to it so easily?

I have seen all that tickets : ticket1, ticket2, ticket3, but I am not sure that it is the good way to do it?

Any suggestions?

Are the data static and read-only or can the user modify it. If the data is read-only see these questions: stackoverflow.com/q/13854425/150978 stackoverflow.com/questions/27320610/… — Robert
– Robert, Commented Jun 15, 2020 at 16:35
@Robert the user can modify it, and mainly the db that I have to protect and contains very important informations. I am going to check your links. — ΩlostA
– ΩlostA, Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 13:04

abd3llatif · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-15 17:16:10Z

1

Android provides you with 3 types of private storage that's meant to be accessed by your app only.

Databases to store structured data in a private database using the Room persistence library.
SharedPreferences to store data as key-value pairs
And finally in your case Internal Storage to store custom types of data especially files and media.

To write on private storage:

Make a new File and write on it:

File file = new File(getApplicationContext().getFilesDir(),"MyPrivateFile.txt");

edited Jun 15, 2020 at 17:16

answered Jun 15, 2020 at 16:16

abd3llatif

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5 Comments

Robert Over a year ago

The private storage is app-private, which is the opposite of the external storage.

abd3llatif Over a year ago

Even if you need the permission of external storage to write the files, it still a private storage, please review the official documentation and also this answer here

Robert Over a year ago

AFAIK the external storage is fully accessible via MTP from a PC or via adb. hence it is not protected in any way, especially as the OP asks how to protect all that files from the users. Saving such files on external storage is just the opposite, this is making access for the user as easy as possible.

abd3llatif Over a year ago

@Robert He want's to protect his data from users as he said, but if he want's to add an other layer of security, he can encrypt files before write them on disk

user19309143 Over a year ago

Just to be clear, these aren't 3 different locations of private storage. These are just 3 methods of storing data in the private app directory /data/data/<app package name>

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