10 Best Practices for Secure Software Development
Security risks exist everywhere, so ensuring security in software development is an unavoidable part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The only way to make it happen is to design software applications with security in mind from the beginning, as opposed to addressing security concerns after testing identifies severe flaws in the product. This approach allows you to identify potential threats and mitigate them before they cause any harm.
It also guarantees the accurate and prompt implementation of all security protocols and procedures. Additionally, this prevents any potential data breaches or malicious attacks. You should use the best practices to identify and mitigate potential security threats and weaknesses at every stage of the software development lifecycle. In this article, you will explore ten best-recommended practices for developing secure software, which are as follows:
1. Threat Modelling
Organisations are becoming more cloud-based and digital, which increases the risk of security breaches in their IT systems. The threat landscape is also expanded by the increasing use of mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Although hacking and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks frequently make headlines, internal threats can also arise, such as attempts by employees to steal or manipulate data.
Smaller businesses are also susceptible to attacks; in fact, because they may lack sufficient cybersecurity safeguards, they may be more vulnerable. Threat modelling is one of the best practices you can implement to avoid such attacks. It is the process of securing systems and data by employing hypothetical scenarios, system diagrams, and testing procedures.
Threat modelling enhances cybersecurity and confidence in critical business systems by locating vulnerabilities, assisting with risk assessment, and recommending corrective action. Other benefits of using threat modelling include:
- Data flow diagrams (DFDs) and graphical representations of attack paths are generated as part of the process, and assets and risks are prioritised accordingly. By doing so, IT teams are able to gain a deeper understanding of network architecture and security.
- Numerous stakeholders are required to contribute to the process, and their involvement helps to instill cybersecurity consciousness as a fundamental competency for all parties involved.
- Businesses can effectively allocate people and budget resources by modelling threat data to help them prioritise security risks.
2. Secure Software Coding
Secure coding is another technique for developing software securely. It involves writing source code and software that is protected against cyberattacks. Developers follow different standards or coding practices when writing code, such as following OWASP guidelines, implementing proper input validation, conducting Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), and many others.
By putting secure software coding practices into practice, you can stop common security flaws like buffer overflow attacks, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting. These techniques can also assist you in simplifying your code, which will facilitate easier debugging and maintenance. Additionally, it ensures your software complies with industry rules.
3. Code Review
An application’s source code is examined through a manual or automated process called secure code review. This method is another good way to identify any existing security flaws or vulnerabilities in the code. Code review also looks for logical errors, assesses how the specification is implemented, and verifies style standards. There are two categories of code reviews: automated and manual.
- Using a tool to automatically check an application’s source code for errors based on predefined rules is known as “automated code review.”
- Problems with source code can be found more quickly by automated review than by manual inspection.
- Manual code review entails a human reading through the source code line by line in search of vulnerabilities. It makes the context of coding decisions more clear.
- Although automated tools are quicker, they are unable to account for the developer’s intentions or the overall business logic. The manual review examines particular issues and is more strategic.
4. Security Testing
Security testing is another important practice for detecting and addressing security flaws in software applications. The main objective of this measure is to ensure software security against malicious attacks, unauthorised access, and data breaches. It involves verifying that the software complies with security standards, evaluating the security mechanisms and features, and conducting penetration tests and vulnerability scanning to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
The goal of security testing is to identify security risks and make recommendations for addressing them to improve the overall security of the software application. Testers imitate attacks to verify current security measures and search for fresh vulnerabilities. It aids in resolving security flaws prior to software deployment.
5. Secure Configuration Management
Secure configuration management is another technique that minimises security risks by modifying and maintaining IT system configurations. It ensures that software systems are deployed in secure configurations. Lowering the risk of unauthorised access entails configuring network settings, access controls, and other security-related settings.
It also entails monitoring for modifications to the baseline settings and making the necessary corrections to guarantee their optimisation. By conducting periodic audits, security configuration management identifies benchmark settings, identifies deviations, and recommends corrective actions.
6. Access Control
Implementing access control strategies is imperative for augmenting software development security. These techniques protect sensitive resources and functionalities within a software system from access by unauthorised people or entities. This includes implementing mechanisms for user authentication and authorization and role-based access control.
These techniques assist in stopping malicious activity, unauthorised access, and data breaches. By implementing strong access control protocols, developers can reduce security risks and safeguard vital information and systems from possible attacks.
7. Regular Updates and Patches
Cybercriminals are more likely to target outdated software because they can take advantage of vulnerabilities that have been found but not yet fixed. Users now run a greater chance of having their financial information or other personal information compromised. In order to address security vulnerabilities and lower the likelihood of security breaches, you must apply software updates and patches on a regular basis. It is critical to keep all system software components up to date with security patches and updates.
8. Security Training
Employees who receive cyber security awareness training are better able to comprehend the dangers and hazards related to cyberattacks. By equipping their personnel with the knowledge and abilities to recognise potential cyber threats, organisations can considerably lower the probability of being the target of an attack.
Thus, developers and other staff members involved in the software development process should undergo regular security training to guarantee that they understand the value of security and the best practices for secure software development. For instance, OWASP training offers developers instructional and learning materials on how to create secure software products.
9. Incident Response or Cybersecurity Incident Response
The strategic process that businesses, especially IT and development teams, use to handle unforeseen events or service outages quickly is known as incident response. Its goals are to minimise potential harm from cyber threats or breaches and to restore operational functionality.
To limit or prevent damage, organisations should have a formal incident response plan that outlines how they will respond to security incidents quickly. It covers the tasks of spotting possible security breaches, lessening their effects, and recovering from them.
10. Constant Monitoring
Continuous monitoring can make it possible to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time. It entails keeping an eye out for any indications of security breaches in system logs, network traffic, and user behaviour. Continuous Security Monitoring (CSM) tools allow developers to detect and respond to security threats in real-time. CSM tools gather information from a variety of sources, such as user activity, system event logs, and network traffic.
The article covered the ten most recommended practices for developing secure software. Organisations can create software applications that are dependable, safe, and resistant to security threats by adhering to best practices. Writing secure code is just one aspect of secure software development. It includes everything from the software’s conception to delivery.
Your company must develop a thorough plan for integrating secure development practices into its day-to-day operations. It will assist you in making security everyone’s responsibility so that it becomes an integral part of every individual’s job linked to the software development cycle.
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Hi, my name is Rahil. I work at YUHIRO Global and I help web agencies and software companies from Europe to build developer teams in India.