How should we protect the core asset of educational apps, ‘dictionary content’?
If you look at the smartphone screens of children these days, the next thing you see the most after games are educational apps. In particular, learning apps based on digital dictionaries that help develop vocabulary in English, Chinese characters, and Korean are widely used by children from toddlers to middle and high school students.
However, there is one major concern for those who create such educational apps. That is, the dictionary content contained in the app, or the **knowledge database (DB)** that has been developed and refined for many years, is being leaked or copied without permission. This is more important because it is a problem that goes beyond simple copyright infringement and is directly related to the survival of a business. So how can we safely protect such important data?
Today, we will discuss one of the answers, **mobile app security service LIAPP**.
Security threats to educational apps seen through real cases
Recently, a domestic education startup company A launched an English vocabulary learning app that it had spent a long time developing. The core of this app was a self-built dictionary DB containing tens of thousands of words and example sentences. It was premium content directly composed by professional teachers and linguists, not using general portals or open APIs.
It was initially successful by word of mouth, but after about 3 months, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The inflow from search ads on a portal site decreased sharply, and app reviews started to mention that "similar apps are cheaper."
The investigation revealed that the dictionary DB file was extracted from within the app and used in another app. The app in question even slightly changed the UI and used the same examples, pronunciations, and explanations.
Company A was shocked and immediately worked with a security company to supplement the entire app.
The solution introduced at that time was **LIAPP**.
How does LIAPP protect educational apps?
1. Mobile app forgery prevention
LIAPP prevents hackers from modifying or repackaging apps at will through app forgery detection and blocking functions.
As in the above case, attempts to disassemble and manipulate the app to extract the dictionary DB are mostly detected at this stage and the app itself is blocked from running.
LIAPP also provides a function to block execution on rooted devices.
This is something that general security apps tend to overlook, but in a rooted environment, apps easily cross the security boundary, increasing the possibility of unauthorized access.
2. Source code obfuscation and encryption
Ordinary app developers create apps in languages such as Java or Kotlin and package them as APK files.
However, APKs can be easily reverse-engineered to check internal codes or resources.
LIAPP obfuscates the app's source code, making it difficult to read the code, hindering analysis, and encrypts important logic or data to protect actual information from being exposed.
For example, Company A's dictionary app included a DB with the structure of 'word ID → definition → example sentence' inside the app, and this DB itself was encrypted and stored through LIAPP, making it impossible to interpret the DB itself even if the APK was hacked.
Protecting educational content is no longer a 'choice' but a 'must'
Many educational app developers tend to put security aside as they initially focus on implementing functions. However, as content accumulates and the number of users increases, the content becomes a target.
• Self-developed content
• Voice and pronunciation data
• Native speaker commentary video
• Word classification algorithm
All of these are competitive and at the same time, targets of protection.
LIAPP not only provides a technical barrier for security, but also provides an automated service that allows developers to easily protect apps without having to write complex security codes separately. Thanks to this, even educational startups and small and medium-sized businesses can use it without burden.
The greater value of LIAPP - 'Trust'
The most important thing is that security leads to user trust.
When parents choose an educational app for their children, in addition to simple UI or price,
they consider "Is this app trustworthy?" and "Is personal information or content safe?" In fact, since implementing LIAPP, Company A’s app has obtained a security certification badge from the app store, and has been used as a basis for proving its reliability in partnerships with schools and educational institutions.
Educational apps start with ‘content security’
Education in the digital age is a **‘content war’**.
As much as creating good content, protecting that content is important.
If you are operating a content-centered education service such as a dictionary-based education app, vocabulary enhancement tool, word game, or foreign language learning app,
Consider introducing a mobile security solution like LIAPP today.
Security is not a cost, but an insurance policy for the survival of content.
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