Secure software development is the standard in the software development industry.
The key to effectively creating secure software is to include security in every step of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
In this blog, we’ll look at what secure software development is, explain why you need to pay attention to it, what kinds of tools exist to help you, and the risks of not doing it right.
Let’s dive right in!
What is secure software development?
BCS discusses secure software development with three particular areas of concern: confidentiality of data and applications, integrity referring to modification or deletion of data only by authorized personnel, and availability meaning the ability to provide services in a timely manner. Secure software development involves addressing these issues from the first moment of inception to the final release of the product.
A simple way to understand secure software development is the process of developing software with security considerations embedded in every step of the software development life cycle (SDLC) so that security is included with every part of the project’s growth and development.
Although this issue has been part of software development for years, it came to the foreground because of the Solar Wind hack. That hack allowed Russian intelligence services to access nine federal agencies and several private businesses. A lack of security in the Solar Winds updates caused the weakness. 1
Secure software development must start with the very first idea stages of developing a piece of software. The issue is as simple as it is vexing; if the first few stages of development don’t include security considerations, those vulnerabilities are handed down to each subsequent stage.
The issue is sufficiently large and concerning that President Biden signed an executive order that significantly affects the development side of software. The goal is to avoid another Solar Winds hack.
Why do I need to pay attention to secure software development?
After reading the information above, the answer might seem self-evident, but there’s even more to it than what was already mentioned.
The executive order mentioned above directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish guidelines for secure software development. Soon, there will be specific guidelines for how developers should handle development steps. Customers large and small will have a yardstick by which to measure your software development. If you can’t prove without any doubt that you affirmatively handled security from the start, you are likely to find yourself with no clients.
One of the largest customers for software and technology, the US federal government, will simply stop buying from any firm that can’t show that they started with security in mind.
Aside from losing customers, Solar Winds said the hack mentioned above cost the company $18 million in just the first three months of 2021, according to Reuters. While the company can absorb those costs there are many competitors circling in the waters simply waiting to release a similar product that never had the same security vulnerabilities.
You need to pay attention to secure software development practices throughout your development life cycle simply to protect your company and its assets.
What are some secure software development tools?
Many companies offer secure software development tools that can verify your code as it develops into a completed software product.
Here are a few examples, each of which is randomly chosen. If you’re interested in the functions they offer, look at their competitors as well to find the firm that provides you with the solutions you need.
DevSecOps Alerts -Multiple services provide alerts to developers about anomalies and defects. This allows the team to investigate and repair security issues before they move too far down the path of development.
Alerta – is an open-source tool that sends alerts to developers. It consolidates and deduplicates alerts. It uses information from a variety of sources to compile the necessary reports.
ElastAlert – is also open-source. It sends alerts about security anomalies, spikes, and other issues that developers need to know.
Dashboards – A dashboard provides a visual, easy-to-grasp representation of security information from the start of a project all the way through to the updates. The graphical nature of the dashboard makes it easy to see what’s happening throughout the SDLC.
Grafana – is also open-source software. It aggregates all the relevant security data into a simple graphical representation. Community dashboards are available to help you save time.
Automation – These are the tools in development security operations (DevSecOps) that look for and fix defects in code. The depth to which the program scans and repairs depends on the program, but this level of automation can find errors that human eyes might miss.
Parasoft Tool Suite – has several related programs that combine to provide in-depth, automated analysis of all the code from the first lines to the final product.
More Tools
Other tool categories include threat modeling, testing, and more. Each program is designed to help developers watch over their development and keep security in the forefront throughout the development process.
Liventus has a good overview of additional secure software development tools. Their list dives deeper into several excellent tools that can make a developer’s life easier.
What are some risks of not getting secure software development right?
The two biggest risks of not getting secure software development right are loss of money and loss of business.
As highlighted above with SolarWinds, a single hack can cost millions. If your business is not as established as theirs, doing nearly a billion dollars in business each year, you can find yourself out of money and out of business. Without the right legal protections, you might lose personal assets, too.
Greater than the loss of money is the permanent loss of customers. Even if you choose a new venture, customers who know of your security failure before might decide not to work with you again. If that customer is an entity as large as the US federal government, your venture might not even get started.
Software security starts when your first bar napkin idea to become a daily concern for the entire team. No matter what your app or software does, security is an issue. It must be taken seriously to ensure that your venture is a success.