Security has been made an essential part of SDLC due to increased cyber-attacks. Security is critical to safeguarding software against cybercriminals, hackers, and other malicious software, minimizing vulnerabilities, and protecting users privacy.
How important is it to build secure software in the 21st century? Organizations must purchase only safe software, especially in light of the increasing number of cyberattacks using software vulnerabilities.
Do any of the following sound familiar to you? These are all recent examples of threat actors using software vulnerabilities for malicious purposes.
The best-known example is Solarwinds. This attack occurs when hackers hack into a vendors infrastructure to infect the software before shipment.
Information is at the heart of all business processes and relationships today. Presidents are issuing executive orders on cybersecurity.
Cyberattacks are primarily directed at the software that handles todays data. This post will provide a list of top-notch secure development practices. Leading concepts include that the best developer security practice makes security everyones responsibility and provides a safe software development environment from application conception to release.
What is Secure Software Development Lifecycle?
SDLC is an integrated, multi-step process that incorporates software security at every stage of development, from planning to implementation and even beyond.
Secure your software lifecycle to allow developers to gather functional and safety requirements.
It encourages developers to conduct security tests and risk analyses during the design phase. The SDLC helps ensure that the quality, integrity, and confidentiality of an application are maintained.
Prioritizing security in software development as an integral component is the central concept of secure development. The planning stage and software code are both infused with protection. Still, the idea is to integrate it into every aspect of development.
How an SDLC could benefit your organization:
- Early detection of security vulnerabilities will allow them to be addressed (shift-left). Your product will be safer if you manage and discover security flaws early in the development process.
- This can reduce costs by reducing the number of hours spent developing.
- It eliminates design errors even before the code can incorporate them.
- They are helping stakeholders understand the importance of secure methods to encourage them to invest.
What is Secure Software Development?
A secure software development methodology integrates security in every stage of software development. Security is built into the software from day one rather than being addressed only after tests reveal critical flaws.
The planning stage is where security becomes a part of the process. Its incorporated before any code has been written.
Developers traditionally view security as a barrier to creativity and innovation, which delays product launches.
This thinking hurts a companys bottom line because it costs six times as much to fix a problem during implementation or testing than to fix the same issue during design. How happy will the customers be if they have to use a product full of vulnerabilities hackers can exploit? Today, security is a priority in software development.
Organizations that prioritize it will need help to remain competitive.
What Happens Without Secure Software Development?
Cyberattacks make headlines. In 2010 and 2011, Duqu and Stuxnet were the talk of the town. Cyberattacks are only getting worse.
WannaCry attacked essential systems, including the National Health Service of Britain, in 2017. GitHub suffered a denial-of-service attack at the beginning of 2018. A 2021 vulnerability in Log4j is still exploited to this day.
Embedded Systems Are Not Immune To Software Engineering Risks
Risks are increasing in embedded systems. This has led to the recall of medical devices and automobiles. Cyber threats are a particular concern for the automotive industry.
Its a big problem.
Cyberattacks on embedded systems can cause widespread damage.
- Infrastructure, such as power production, oil, and gas refinement, is critical.
- Telecommunications.
- Transportation.
- Systems for the control of water and waste.
Different Types Of Software Engineering Practices
The security of software is a vital topic to which we should pay attention. We rely heavily on software development for everything.
The best security practices in software development are essential to follow. These best practices are designed to protect your code from cyber criminals and hackers while maintaining user privacy.
The following blog will provide some tips and best practices to follow when developing software.
What Are The Most Common Security Risks?
First, It is essential to understand the most typical security threats developers encounter. Software developers face several security issues.
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Maintenance Of Software Systems Is Not Active
There is a high chance that your software application has vulnerabilities if you no longer develop it or if the support team for the program is small.
If hackers exploit these vulnerabilities, they could access confidential and secure information on your server.
Codes That Are Poorly Written
Poorly written code is another common software risk. Poorly written code makes it difficult to secure an application.
Coding practices like input validation, output encryption, error handling, storage security, and secure coding are only sometimes followed.
Vulnerable Web Services
Web services store sensitive information about users and their data. Hackers could use vulnerabilities in web services to gain access to sensitive data or carry out unauthorized actions on your site.
Insecure Password Storage
In many cases, passwords are stored so that attackers can easily steal and decrypt them using techniques like dictionary attacks or brute-force attacks.
Secure your passwords with strong cryptography.
Legacy Software
Security attacks can be made against legacy software. These programs are often written with insecure coding and need to be regularly updated, which makes them vulnerable to data breaches & cyber attacks.
Why Do Developers Skip Security Preparations?
Although secure software development should be a priority, many developers skip it for various reasons. It is most often due to a need for more time or resources.
The most common cause is time and resource constraints. They end up cutting corners by only focusing on their immediate needs.
Lack of knowledge about possible threats is another reason. Some programmers think that hackers will never attack their applications.
Therefore, there is no need to take this extra step in the development stage, as it can consume valuable person-hours.
There are many reasons for developers to skip secure software development, even though it is essential. Below weve listed the top five.
Time and Resources Lack
Developers who are under pressure to meet deadlines can sometimes skip security measures. Recent statistics show that 67% of developers do not address security vulnerabilities in their code.
Tight deadlines are one of the reasons they dont. A business leader who understands and appreciates the need for secure software and wants to invest in security tools must also be aware that this requires extra time and resources.
If they only have one developer, for example, to code a simple web form, then it will take just a few minutes. The exact format may take longer and require an additional developer to protect against cross-site scripting.
In a few minutes, it will be impossible for one developer to create a form that includes protection routines. They will skip this step if they are under a strict deadline.
Insufficient Education
There are many different types of developers, as well as differences in the way that they code. Theres a chance that some of your developers need to prioritize security in the development process.
Security and Development Silos
Most business leaders think software security is best left to a team of experts. In some instances, this can be the case, but generally, there are more secure choices for software development.
This misconception leads to many companies creating their dedicated security team, which works in isolation and does not communicate appropriately with developers.
Security vulnerabilities are embodied in code and only discovered months (or weeks) after the fact. It makes the system less secure and slows the development process.
You can create separate teams for security and development. However, you must ensure that these two groups work together.
Please encourage them to communicate freely and work together whenever possible.
Read More: IT Priorities 2023: Software Development
No Security Priority
A recent survey found that 86% of software developers do not consider security a priority when developing new software.
This alarming figure only shows that many organizations need to prioritize using secure development methods.
Why Is Security In Software Development Difficult?
Its Not A Priority To Have Secure Software
Most developers need to give security in software development more importance.
Its said that:
- Fast market entry is essential.
- Include all the features you plan.
- Keep a high standard of quality.
You cant have all three. While quality is important, it is only sometimes a priority.
Features and deadlines drive checklists. Secure software is not usually a standard feature. It needs to be addressed.
The Quality of a Product Does Not Ensure Security
Software quality and integrity can reduce the security flaws caused by defects. But, QA doesnt usually take into account hacking.
The Embedded Developer Has Too Many Moving Parts
The embedded systems can be large and complex. Youll find both new code and legacy and connectivity components. Embedded systems can run on many different operating systems.
Multiple teams develop software. Theyre also often distributed around the globe.
It isnt easy to make sure that software works properly. Even more challenging is ensuring that the software functions properly.
There Is Not Enough Training For Security
Many people involved with software development need to learn how to identify security issues. Its essential to consider the implications for the security of software requirements or their absence.
They need to understand how software security affects the way it is developed.
- Models
- The Architected
- Design
- Implemented
- Testing
- Ready for deployment and distribution
So, developers may need to design more secure software. Security requirements may be lacking. Developers may not know how to turn a mistake into a vulnerability.
Nobody Owns Security
Software security is not a priority for most embedded teams. To secure their software, many teams rely on different roles - from development and product management to quality assurance.
This only works sometimes.
Ten Security Best Practices in Software Development
Well look at some of the best practices for secure software development.
1. Make Software Security a Priority From the Start
Consider security from the beginning of planning your project. Consider what potential vulnerabilities might arise at each phase of the software development process.
It is essential to always consider security when adding or changing features.
SDLC (Secure Software Development Lifecycle) allows you to create secure applications. The SDLC considers security throughout the lifecycle of an application.
It also ensures that the appropriate controls are in place at each process phase.
2. Conducted Security Awareness Training
They need to be aware of the threats they face. They must be mindful of the most common software attacks and know how to prevent them.
Information about software vulnerabilities should be included in the training on security awareness. The training should consist of details about hackers and cybercriminals.
To avoid the same errors, developers need to know what theyre likely to do when writing code. Your software developers can write secure apps from the beginning with education and knowledge transfer.
Its a good idea to have regular meetings as part of security training where you can discuss secure development methods.
The sessions are beneficial when it comes time to identify weaknesses in your code before hackers do.
3. You Can Identify Potential Security Threats By Using Code Reviews
To avoid common mistakes, code reviews can help identify and correct security flaws. Software development is only complete with a secure design.
Adopt a defensive mentality when writing code to help you write the least amount of code possible. Test your code, and write unit tests in all the areas that concern you.
You should check every time you change code to determine if the changes introduced new vulnerabilities. It is also essential to check security requirements to ensure the software development team follows secure coding techniques.
4. You Can Use Static Code Analysis Tools
Even experienced developers can miss subtle security mistakes. These tools help to bridge the understanding gap and find vulnerabilities in code.
They also facilitate code reviews.
Static code analysis is a great way to find software flaws before your software has been deployed. Static code analysis tools can be easily integrated into the build pipeline to perform these tests and flag potential problems automatically.
Static code analysis tools can be used during a code security review to help identify problematic areas. They are vital for large companies where there may be a constant turnover of developers or if they need more security expertise.
Although static code analysis is not perfect, it can help identify some common software vulnerabilities, such as SQL Injection (SQL Injection), Cross-Site Scripting(XSS), or sensitive data disclosure.
5. Take Advantage Of Popular And Well-Maintained Libraries And Frameworks
When writing software, choosing well-maintained and popular libraries or frameworks is better. They are less susceptible to vulnerabilities as compared to newly written code.
Open-source components will help improve your security management, as youll benefit from early bug detection and patching.
Using secure software libraries will also help reduce your applications attack surface and increase its security.
Before using a framework or library extensively, developers should research its reputation. Online tools can provide information on the community activity of each project, its release frequency, and other metrics.
This will allow them to decide whether a component meets their security needs.
Read More: Explanation of a secure software development framework
6. Take Advantage Of Popular And Well-Maintained Libraries And Frameworks
Learn the Top Ten Vulnerabilities of Software from OWASP. Secure software development practices are designed to avoid these web application flaws.
It is easier for developers to take steps to prevent these errors when they have a list that includes the most recent software vulnerabilities.
Even if you need to become more familiar with OWASPs most essential points, understanding them will allow you to decide the best way to secure software development projects.
7. Standards And Guidelines For Secure Coding
Coding standards and guidelines are the foundation of secure software development. Experts by industry standards should develop your organizations specific coding measures and guidelines.
Using secure coding standards within an organization can promote a better understanding of design principles, reducing vulnerabilities before software goes live.
By establishing standard rules for the type of code that can be written, software development teams can enforce effective testing throughout the Software Development Lifecycle. This will ensure they do not introduce new vulnerabilities.
Software developers can also use threat modeling to help secure their software. By analyzing data flows, threat modeling can identify threats.
To create secure code guidelines, developers need to understand the following concepts:
Encryption
Data should be protected both in transit and when at rest. It includes data stored in databases, files, sessions, and cookies.
The only way to protect user data in a network is to encrypt it. An attacker can compromise any node and have access to the plaintext traffic.
Hashing Passwords
Never store passwords in plaintext. Use a hashing algorithm instead to create a unique hash that you can hold in your database.
SQL Injection
SQL Injection Attack is where a hacker injects SQL queries through the application interface to manipulate or extract data from a backend database.
SQL injection attacks are prevented using parameterized SQL queries rather than dynamic SQL statements.
Cross-Site Scripting
XSS occurs when malicious scripts are injected into an application by the attacker. The attackers use this type of attack to trick users into clicking on malicious links or downloading malware onto their devices without them having to do anything.
Exposed Sensitive Data
When encryption keys, Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Information, and other personally identifiable information are not protected adequately from hackers, Data Exposure can occur.
Sensitive data should be encoded when its stored and transmitted via the Internet. There are many ways to assess the sensitivity of certain pieces of data.
Input Validation Attacks
When an attacker manipulates the application to accept data it shouldnt, they commit input validation attacks. It isnt limited to SQL Injection but includes inputs from other sources like network packets and user-generated content such as text messages or email address identifiers.
Buffer Overflow
The attacks take advantage of the fact that an application can use memory outside its boundaries when it allocates input space.
Hackers inject more code than expected into the buffer of a software program during its development. They then use this extra data to take control of an app or system.
No Validated Forwards and Redirects
Attackers can use this technique to redirect visitors from a legitimate website to a malicious one without warning the user.
Hackers can change the page displayed by simply using requests with authentication parameters.
Improper Error Handling
When an application does not allow developers to handle unexpected errors, it is considered improper error handling.
Hackers can exploit it by running their code and gaining access via backend servers.
Applications Allowlisting, also known as "Least Privilege."
In the concept of minimum privilege, applications only have access to necessary resources to ensure their security.
If there is a weakness in your backend service or web app, hackers cannot use it as a point of entry.
Insufficient Logging & Monitoring
Software often needs more logging and monitoring capabilities, making it hard (if not even impossible) for the developers to detect if there has been an attack.
Most attackers dont like their activities to be recorded so that they remain undetected. Developers should therefore implement security auditing and monitoring practices, including file integrity monitoring, user activity monitoring, and logs of network activities.
8. ISO 27001 Certification
Consider getting your business ISO 27001-certified. ISO 27001, an international standard for information security, defines security requirements to develop, implement, maintain, and improve an Information Security Management System.
ISO 27001 certification helps secure software development by increasing an organizations capability to protect confidential information, integrity, and accessibility.
9. Tests for Penetration
Automated penetration testing can be used to identify potential software security flaws. Hiring a software security-focused penetration testing team can help you perform proper penetration tests.
Security experts will use the same methods as hackers to determine how safe your system is from these attacks. Most companies will conduct a penetration test every month, usually on a small subset of products or systems.
You can be confident that existing vulnerabilities will be addressed quickly and fixed before an attacker finds them.
In addition to identifying concerns about third-party components, security testing involves mitigating them. Companies should also secure their code and make sure that the products of vendors and partners are as secure.
10. Devops: Integrate Secure Software Development Into Your Practices
As soon as you implement best practices, ensure they are integrated into your DevOps process. The entire team will be able to build software that is secure and aware of the security requirements.
Your team will be able to identify any security concerns at the start of development rather than waiting until its too late.
DevSecOps practices, or secure DevOps as they are also known, are crucial to ensuring secure software development.
Companies can implement bug bounty programs to reward users who find security flaws in their applications or services.
Its also important to regularly communicate progress updates in your organization so people know where these policies come from and why they are needed.
Secure Software Development By Using Static Code Analysis Tools
Static code analysis is vital to ensuring a safe development process, as half of the security flaws are found in the source code.
Therefore, finding and fixing errors as soon as the code is created is critical.
Many developers need to be trained in security. It can be tough to identify security issues during code reviews.
Even for experienced developers, security mistakes are subtle and can easily be overlooked.
The use of static code analysis software can bridge this knowledge gap. They flag security flaws and speed code reviews.
Developers can detect errors using static analysis.
- Memory Leakage
- Access Violations
- Mathematical errors
- Overruns in arrays and strings
It maximizes the code quality and reduces errors impact on the final product and the project schedule.
Find out how to apply specific coding standards for more secure software development.
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Conclusion
Securing software is more than just writing secure code. DevOps is a must-have for your daily workflow. We mean secure DevOps from Software Development to deployment and beyond.
It ensures security is an integral part of everything you do, not just something that gets attention periodically or after a breach.
Secure software development will never end. Therefore, you should always look for ways to make your software more secure as technology changes and hackers develop new attacks against Software vulnerabilities.
It goes beyond just writing secure code. From the conception of software through to delivery, it covers all aspects.
You must take a holistic view to ensure your companys daily workflow is fast.
This will help make software security a part of everyones daily work and a vital component of every persons role.
