Building a Fintech App with High Security Standards

The Challenge of Fintech Security

When a Jakarta-based fintech startup approached Devantara to build their peer-to-peer lending platform, security wasn't just a feature — it was the foundation everything else had to be built on.

Security Architecture

Authentication & Authorization

• →Multi-factor authentication (MFA) mandatory for all users
• →OAuth 2.0 + JWT with short-lived tokens (15-minute expiry)
• →Role-based access control (RBAC) with principle of least privilege
• →Biometric authentication on mobile (Face ID, fingerprint)

Data Protection

• →End-to-end encryption for all financial transactions
• →AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest
• →TLS 1.3 for all data in transit
• →PII data anonymization in logs and analytics

Infrastructure Security

• →Web Application Firewall (WAF) configuration
• →DDoS protection via Cloudflare
• →Regular automated vulnerability scanning
• →Penetration testing before each major release

Compliance

• →OJK (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) compliance requirements
• →PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act) compliance
• →ISO 27001-aligned security practices

Technology Stack

• →Backend: Node.js + TypeScript, running on AWS ECS
• →Database: PostgreSQL with row-level security
• →Mobile: React Native (iOS & Android)
• →Monitoring: Datadog for real-time security alerts

Results

The platform successfully passed OJK security audit on the first submission — a rare achievement for new fintech applications. It has been processing transactions for 8 months with zero security incidents.