Tools used in software security testing and mitigation, including threat modeling, penetration testing and vulnerability assessments as well as code reviews are utilized with one goal in mind: detecting and mitigating software security risks.
Developers can produce higher-quality, more secure software by adhering to sound software development practices.
Although their benefits may not become immediately evident, safe practices will save your company money and prevent potentially dangerous data leakage and breaches in the future. Security can even be integrated into software development to further minimize security risks while making enterprise software less vulnerable against attacks.
All software security measures should begin with a comprehensive software development policy.
What is the Secure Software Development Policy (SSDDP)?
Since weve already covered it, it is imperative to create policies for the secure software development process. These will serve as the cornerstone for security practices and frameworks in development projects.
Secure Software Development Policies provide guidelines and standards which outline how software must be created and maintained to achieve top security levels throughout its product life cycle.
Companies need to identify both their security requirements and risks to create an effective security software policy, since each organization may face distinct vulnerabilities.
With the data gleaned during their assessment, companies will be able to establish which measures and practices must be put in place in order for their business operations to run effectively.
Each business and team of developers should create its own security policy as each application or development project varies considerably from another one.
Un effective Secure Software Development Policy will soon become evident. Not only should its purpose be reduced software security incidents but its importance also highlighted; such an effort should have already taken place.
Secure software development projects strategies help ensure software is created with security as the priority rather than as an afterthought.
What is the Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)?
When discussing internal policies, its essential to address both stages of development simultaneously and briefly.
They are inextricably intertwined.
Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) refers to an organized collection of processes and practices meant to ensure security at each phase of software projects.
SSDLC expands upon SDLC in an organic way and its concepts can apply across a wide variety of product activities; gathering requirements, creating initial designs and deploying applications before maintenance.
Early consideration of software security allows organizations to quickly recognize any weaknesses and fix them before potential attackers take advantage of them.
Building more resistant software reduces data breaches while simultaneously improving overall security posture; hence a secure SDLC becomes essential in creating and maintaining reliable applications.
Six phases comprise an effective software lifecycle:
Five Phases to Secure Software Development
Analyze of Requirements
The software team will work out the security requirements for the application in the first phase. This includes authentication, authorization and encryption.
You can also Design Your Own
This design should include security controls such as input validation, access control and error handling. The plan must consist of security controls, such as input verification, access control and error handling.
Implementation
Now it is time to write the actual code, taking into account all the security concerns that were revealed during the first phase.
Code reviews are crucial in this phase to ensure code compliance and quality.
Testing
During this stage, different testing methodologies are employed to find any vulnerabilities within the application.
Unit, performance, and security tests must be implemented from the start and should follow good programming practices.
Maintenance
There are software architectures you can write down and then forget. Security-related updates are an essential part of all software maintenance activities.
It includes periodic assessments of security, software component updates, and the response to security incidents.
What Is The Importance Of Security In Software Development, And Why?
Assumptions about this question have long been made. Todays marketplace makes the answer obvious. At the outset of this discussion we cited one statistic as evidence: companies worldwide are suffering enormous financial losses caused by security breaches that will only get worse over time.
Up to 45% of global organizations will experience breaches in software security related to their supply chains, impacting them in some way.
Unfortunately, fixing vulnerabilities requires time; security teams typically take 277 days on average to detect and prevent breaches. Software security has never been more crucial, and companies that take proactive steps will reap great rewards by adhering to best practices in terms of software development security.
Here are four aspects where software security plays a crucial role currently:
Confidential Information: How to protect it
Statista reports that, just in the US alone, significant cases of data compromise were documented last year - this included leaks and breaches that affected 422 million individuals collectively.
Each incident provided unauthorized individuals access to sensitive user-related data, creating similar incidents throughout.
These incidents do not discriminate, impacting anyone - from individuals and corporations alike. Therefore, its vital that we take proactive measures to secure our data against threat actors and block unwarranted access.
Maintaining User Trust
Many users trust software to protect their information. Users may stop using it or refuse future updates.
A survey by the National Cyber Security Alliance found that up to 80 percent of consumers would cease doing business scenarios if a company experienced a breach in data.
Accenture conducted another survey that found 47% of internet users said security was the main factor in choosing digital transformation service providers.
How To Prevent Business Losses
Weve mentioned that security breaches may result in severe financial losses to the company or organization that is responsible for a software application.
IBM estimates that the average US company costs upwards of 9.44 million dollars for a data leak.
If the breach of data was due to negligence, then companies could face fines and lawsuits as well as reputational damage.
Regulations
Multiple industries and governments impose rules regarding data security and privacy that they must abide by; otherwise there could be fines or other sanctions applied.
Recent years have witnessed many governments and international organizations expand their policies around data security.
Both Europe and North America (EU/US) are adopting comprehensive strategies focusing on creating collective capabilities to combat significant cyberattacks while working alongside external partners to maintain international cyber stability and security.
Security Practices for Software Development
We can focus now on safe coding techniques since we have finally gotten rid of all the theories about software development.
These tips will:
Make Software Security A Top Priority From The Beginning
Plan how to integrate security in every stage of SDLC before you begin coding. This will establish the SDLC, which we have described so thoroughly.
From the very beginning, programmers and product owners should use automation to test and monitor vulnerabilities.
Your team must embed security into its culture and software. Its best to begin at the very beginning of software development.
Be Proactive And Educate Your Employees
Although not directly associated with software development processes, this point remains of equal significance - especially for managers or those responsible.
Software developers, along with employees in general, must remain mindful of potential online threats they could encounter.
Employees need to recognize common forms of attacks as well as ways they can be mitigated or avoided altogether. In many organizations today, zero trust policies exist so as to minimize employee negligence potential risk management strategy.
Developers must recognize the significance of security in their daily work and hold regular training sessions to educate employees about software vulnerabilities and keep an eye on security problems through credible sources.
Checklists Are A Great Way To Keep Track Of Your Security Procedures
Software development can be likened to the construction of a large and complex machine. Many moving parts must come together to create software thats aligned with business objectives and is well-secured.
Use action checklists to track your security measures at frequent intervals. For example, weekly or monthly team meetings.
This will help ensure all security procedures and policies are implemented.
Employ A Secure Software Development Framework
Software frameworks are pre-designed architectures that offer structures and organizational support for developing software apps.
As their name implies, frameworks form the basis of all modern apps; which one do you think offers maximum protection? Check out your options today.
Spring is one of the more widely-used Java frameworks and it comes equipped with numerous security features designed to prevent vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site request forgery attacks, built-in password, encryption, token-based authentication etc.
Ruby on Rails has long been known for its robust security features that protect users against common security threats. These features have evolved to offer maximum protection.
Django is another framework with exceptional security features, much like Ruby on Rails or Spring. Django incorporates tools that protect from common security flaws such as cross-site request forgery and SQL injection attacks.
Libraries That Are Well-Known And Trusted
Java libraries provide pre-built solutions to common programming problems. Open-source software is not without its risks, and programmers must be careful when using it.
It is common to assume that open-source is safer than proprietary because people believe that any potential security issues will be discovered and eliminated if code is maintained and developed by many.
This makes open-source applications even more vulnerable to security flaws.
This is because hackers can pose as open-source contributors and gain access through the backdoor to the project.
Java developers must only integrate libraries that are from trusted sources.
Ensure Complete Data Protection
Data protection merits its own article; for now well give an overview of some key considerations to keep in mind.
Developers should employ encryption when transmitting sensitive data, using secure communication protocols like HTTPS and TLS for this. To prevent unauthorized access, software applications should use only strongly typed parameters and variables instead of hardcoding connecting strings; all privileges should be reduced as possible when accessing databases.
In terms of broad security strategies, developers should have access to logs of daily cloud operations as part of incident response plans and should keep this data securely for future reference.
Without accessing such vital logs and information in case of security breach or compromise, a development team could find itself powerless against security attacks and breach.
Keep In Mind Authentication And Password Management
The most popular password used online year after year is "password". This is a stupid idea, and we agree. Still, as developers, we can only force users to choose passwords that contain capital letters and signs.
We can ensure the security of the application by providing that passwords and authentication methods used in the background are secure.
All authentication controls, including those libraries that use external authentication services, should be implemented centrally by programmers.
The only system that should be used for all authentication controls, password hashing and other security measures is the server of the organization. The source code should not be in a safe location.
Code Reviews Can Be Used To Detect Threats
As discussed in our post about clean code writing, code reviews serve more purposes than simply finding mistakes or bugs; they play an integral part of programming projects by helping identify security flaws within each colleagues code base.
Your teammates shouldnt hesitate to point out opportunities for safer and improved approaches when they spot them, including when finding code that could cause security concerns in someone elses work and suggesting potential solutions.
If they detect something unsafe that needs fixing quickly and propose one.
As soon as any time changes are made to code, it should be examined to assess any new vulnerabilities introduced by said changes and to confirm security requirements that will ensure development teams adhere to safe coding techniques.
Read More: Why Choose to Outsource SAP Software Solutions? An Explanatory Guide
You Can Use Static Code Analysis Tools
Static code analysis is also essential for finding vulnerabilities in software. These tools can be integrated into the pipeline of development so that each time a build is ready for deployment, it runs through these checks automatically and flags any issues.
Static code analysis tools can be used during a code security review to help identify problematic areas. They are vital for organizations with many developers who may change or need more security expertise.
These tools may not be perfect, but they can help identify some of the common software vulnerabilities.
Code Integrity Protection
As part of these best practices, its also imperative that we consider code integrity - this phrase sums up software security perfectly.
Software security relies heavily on code integrity. This critical factor ensures that software is protected against unauthorized access, data theft and modification by malicious actors.
Developers seeking to maintain code integrity should first utilize version control systems to track changes and document any modifications of existing code, in addition to keeping all repositories accessible only by authorized users and keeping all updates to main branches on track with changes being regulated via contact with source code, tracking changes and overseeing updates as necessary.
Code integrity throughout the software development cycle yields high-quality products that satisfy users and stakeholders, free from security risks.
What Are The Best Ways To Secure Software Development?
As discussed in our previous article, software security requires an approach that encompasses multiple measures and practices; we refer to this principle as SDLC (Software Secure Development Lifecycle Control).
At first, developers should integrate security-focused code review, threat modeling and testing methods into their daily work routines.
Second, businesses should keep abreast of new security technologies and trends. Furthermore, software must be regularly updated in order to ward off threats effectively; and any news relevant to security such as Google Chrome Zero Day or Log4J should also be kept an eye out for.
Product owners and software developers would benefit greatly from conducting regular security tests on software applications.
Scanning tools monitor potential failure points within web apps utilizing constantly updating databases; no matter if developing SaaS apps or online stores; audits like these can help enhance security in software while showing clients they can rely on you.
Security Trends for Software Development
Before becoming victims of costly cyber incidents, companies must act now to safeguard themselves. Business Development Executive and assists them with expanding the company through business expansion, increased sales, and continued increases in profit.
Convincing businesses to make the move into the cloud was not an easy process. Many firms needed extra time to prepare themselves for such an immense change; many felt uncomfortable depending on professional services instead of localized software and hardware solutions for computing purposes.
Things drastically shifted with the appearance of pandemics, prompting business goals to switch towards cloud migration in earnest.
They chose one of three cloud service providers - Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud, who control owners most cloud market shares respectively.
Cloud computing has proven an amazing success story since it first hit the scene; global cloud service spending will surpass $84 billion! However, IT specialists predict an impending upheaval with widespread use of APIs, shortage of IT personnel, as well as software with an "trust but verify" architecture design being major causes for concern for future security threats.
With cloud computing expanding rapidly, software development communities must act swiftly to enhance security. Developers still use security tech companies from three to ten years ago despite daily cyber attacks; companies should adopt key security trends of 2023 into all software development strategies and software product lines.
The Top Security Trends
Assess the IT Department
Malicious actors far outnumber IT security specialists. Business leaders do not fully comprehend what IT experts are trying to address with regard to security concerns; more should be done by management to inform themselves and collaborate closely with IT specialists when working through security matters.
Be mindful that software development overlapping with cybersecurity creates confusion for software development contractors; due to this confusion, hiring third-party contractors has become so prevalent.
Building high-quality secure software requires much time and resources; outsourcing development would save budget by allocating them for development as opposed to security departments.
As it relates to IT and cybersecurity professionals, universities are making great efforts to keep up with an interconnected world by developing programs specifically targeting these professionals.
Unfortunately, as demand outpaces supply in this regard, more cybersecurity specialists will become necessary than can be supplied; there are plenty of entry-level workers, but only 10-15 year experienced ones remain available on the job market.
APIs
Non-techies might find it challenging to comprehend the significance of APIs; they serve as the backbone for software or web development and must remain secure due to limited source availability.
Developers frequently repurpose APIs, meaning your engineers could end up using one developed by another developer.
Software companies that rely on externally developed APIs expose themselves to serious security vulnerabilities; Cambridge Analytica stands as an apt reminder; using Facebook APIs was at the core of this PR disaster rather than breached data technically.
Facebook did not set proper permission boundaries or enforce its Terms of Service Agreement to inform its users about how their information was being collected and utilized.
Cambridge Analytica leveraged Facebooks Graph AI feature in order to access and exploit over 87 Million Users Data to sell for profit.
APIs can also present security concerns. These could include misconfigurations, data leakage, insufficient logging and monitoring capabilities, authorization problems or permission issues affecting data transfers between software platforms; mismanagement or theft may occur during data collection activities between them - therefore any API that transfers user data must include data encryption capabilities as well as OAuth authorization features to keep their users personal information protected and protect privacy.
Bill of Material for Software
It is rare that software produced by development teams will be 100% unique and connected. It is a common practice to reuse code, as this allows software teams to create sophisticated applications in a reasonable timeframe.
Code reuse improves productivity and efficiency, but if your original code is low quality, unstable, or unsafe, it will affect the entire platform.
Companies can incorporate several smaller software pieces, firmware and APIs into a single product. Security breaches during financial transactions or those involving sensitive data of users could have catastrophic consequences.
The US Government may require SBOMs in the near future for all government software. A software bill of material is needed for a company.
It includes a list of the components of the software. The features listed include APIs, firmware, and software.
The government agencies could then evaluate the software using its SBOM to determine whether it is secure and safe enough for use by the federal government.
This approach would be a great measure. Its also possible to see it in the private sector as well.
Zero Trust and Access Control
IT professionals use zero trust architecture to safeguard IT assets. In this approach, everyone who interacts with software or data should be seen as suspect; no access may be given unless specifically granted for.
Once implemented, any user changes or access must be verified prior to implementation of zero-trust security. Its architecture was specifically created to account for blindspots inherent in perimeter security; attacks that come in from the outside must come through attacks against its firewall in order to gain entry; businesses should remain mindful that most attacks come through users inside.
To effectively implement zero-trust policies, it is imperative that each group of users is aware of which permission levels they require for specific jobs or roles.
Software development typically needs different privileges compared with administrative work or project management duties - the hierarchy will decide this accordingly but users should only possess privileges necessary for doing their work effectively - any company needs a mechanism for purging past employees from its system as soon as they leave or retire from working there.
Trust but verify is an industry practice well known among businesses; however, companies need to invest more effectively in security monitoring while anticipating all parties needs and compliance requirements.
Zero trust provides the strongest protection from cyber threats by requiring multiple authentication factors per session.
Concentrate on One Improvement Area at a Time
Every company has specific cybersecurity needs that vary based on the industry or sector it belongs to. When developing software that involves financial transactions or stores data, using careful development tech stack is paramount to keeping sensitive data secure and private.
When working on new features or functionality for new features or updates, developers and product managers must consult IT specialists when working together and effective communication must take place between departments even if third party.
Companies must employ security specialists to evaluate APIs and address any security central risks or vulnerabilities they identify.
Software that brings value and integration for its users often uses APIs; any necessary adjustments should be implemented if possible to avoid becoming like Facebook.
SBOMs should be included in product specifications of companies who supply services to industries with significant federal or state contracting, and security architecture should shift away from "trust, but verify" towards zero trust; all parties involved should understand what minimum business requirements exist for developers, endpoint users and anyone in between; zero trust has already become standard across many industries and is expected to continue its rise in adoption rates.
Closing Thoughts
Software security has become an essential feature in modern society, protecting us against cyber-attacks and data breaches.
Lack of security can result in compromised data, downtime and financial losses for both users and organizations that develop or manage iterative approaches.
Software security provides one means of safeguarding application development against such risks - protecting both end-users as well as those organizations responsible.
