Does the Cyber Resilience Act Apply to Mobile Apps?
Learn if the EU CRA applies to Mobile Apps, what the core compliance requirements are, and how to start preparing your engineering teams automatically.
Core Definition
Yes. The EU Cyber Resilience Act applies directly to Mobile Apps as they fall under the definition of "products with digital elements." An app that talks to a cloud backend still counts as a 'digital element' — the backend can pull the whole system into CRA scope. This means your software must meet mandatory cybersecurity requirements to be distributed in the EU market.
Key Compliance Steps for Mobile Apps
- Determine Classification: Check if your Mobile Apps falls under the default category or Class I/Class II, which dictate stricter conformity assessment paths.
- Perform Risk Assessment: Map out the attack surface for your software and document the mitigations for the "secure by design" requirement.
- Implement Vulnerability Reporting: Provide a 24-hour reporting mechanism to ENISA for actively exploited vulnerabilities.
- Generate an SBOM: Ensure all dependencies used in your Mobile Apps are documented in a machine-readable Software Bill of Materials.
- Avoid the Common Pitfall: Store review guidelines are mistaken for CRA conformity; app store approval says nothing about Annex I compliance.
How This Plays Out in Practice
An app that talks to a cloud backend still counts as a 'digital element' — the backend can pull the whole system into CRA scope.
What to Watch For
Store review guidelines are mistaken for CRA conformity; app store approval says nothing about Annex I compliance.
Assess Your CRA Readiness
Evaluate your product's Cyber Resilience Act readiness using our interactive tool. Find exactly which of the 22 security requirements apply directly to Mobile Apps.