I’d start by looking at their testing and deployment methodology. What I mean is that I would audit the steps that programmers are supposed to take before pushing code into a production environment that could cause an issue. To avoid getting into trouble, the development team should always code test in a test environment first. Second, I would concentrate on Code Reviews and how they are carried out. It may make sense for developers to do their own code review for small releases, but for larger releases, there should be cross-checking from other team members to double check the lines and document whatever the findings are. One of the most significant secure coding practices I’ve seen is in a regulated SDLC setting. Developers and testers should document what they’ve built and tested so that, example, if the code needs to be patched 4-5 years down the road, the current developer working on it will be able to go back and review what was done originally.
The application development team must consider the Software Engineering
Principles” by not reinventing the wheel, inspects the code validation and authentication phase of the code, the code secure data at rest and keep it simple. application development team would have a better understanding of the causes of common vulnerabilities and method of preventing them.
Being able to recognize opportunities to apply secure coding principles and able to remediate vulnerabilities. should help in achieving such goals. The program flow should be such that the program easily recovers from any erroneous conditions and does not lose control of its execution.
Hi Oluwaseun,
Unfortunately, many teams are overwhelmed when it comes to enforcing a secure development process. It is a challenge to figure out which threats and vulnerabilities pose the greatest risk. And, most developers do not know how to protect against and respond to those risks. I had not considered some of your suggestions for determine if an applications development project team was using secure coding practices. Based on what I found, I would review the different stages of software development they should have gone through per SDLC, and check for any errors in the code using manual code reviews and static application scanning tools that review newly written code and find potential weaknesses without having to run the application.
To determine if an applications development project team was using secure coding practices, I would suggest analyzing stages 5 and 6 in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The point of the SDLC is to help an organization to quickly produce high-quality software which is well-tested and ready for production use. Stage 5 is related to the evaluation of the created code by testing it for defects, bugs, deficiencies, and overall performance. It is the best way to ensure that the code is reliable and meets the standards. Stage 6 involves deploying the product or code to users, however, many organizations choose to move the product through additional deployment environments such as testing or staging environments. This is beneficial because it can catch any mistakes that were overlooked in the testing process. Additional efforts and/or tools that can check for any mistakes made or left unnoticed in the development process are static application scanning tools, manual code reviews, and guides and checklists which remind programmers of typical mistakes to be avoided.
I think what you said about analyzing the software development life cycle (SDL) is a good method. The benefits of SDL also include higher security: In SDL, continuous monitoring of vulnerabilities can improve application quality and reduce business risks. Reduce costs: In SDL, early attention to defects can significantly reduce the amount of work required to detect and repair defects. Compliance: SDL encourages a serious approach to safety-related laws and regulations. Ignoring them can result in fines and penalties, even if sensitive data is not lost.
Resource owners and resource custodians must ensure that security training and review are included in every stage of the software development life cycle, describe insecure coding, and discover vulnerabilities in application software to reduce the theft of sensitive data. Safe coding practices and attention to security risks are integrated into daily operations and development processes. Regardless of the equipment used for programming, application developers must complete secure coding requirements. Before developing secure applications, an effective training plan should be developed so that developers can learn important secure coding principles and how to apply these principles.
Shubham Patil says
I’d start by looking at their testing and deployment methodology. What I mean is that I would audit the steps that programmers are supposed to take before pushing code into a production environment that could cause an issue. To avoid getting into trouble, the development team should always code test in a test environment first. Second, I would concentrate on Code Reviews and how they are carried out. It may make sense for developers to do their own code review for small releases, but for larger releases, there should be cross-checking from other team members to double check the lines and document whatever the findings are. One of the most significant secure coding practices I’ve seen is in a regulated SDLC setting. Developers and testers should document what they’ve built and tested so that, example, if the code needs to be patched 4-5 years down the road, the current developer working on it will be able to go back and review what was done originally.
Oluwaseun Soyomokun says
The application development team must consider the Software Engineering
Principles” by not reinventing the wheel, inspects the code validation and authentication phase of the code, the code secure data at rest and keep it simple. application development team would have a better understanding of the causes of common vulnerabilities and method of preventing them.
Being able to recognize opportunities to apply secure coding principles and able to remediate vulnerabilities. should help in achieving such goals. The program flow should be such that the program easily recovers from any erroneous conditions and does not lose control of its execution.
Elizabeth Gutierrez says
Hi Oluwaseun,
Unfortunately, many teams are overwhelmed when it comes to enforcing a secure development process. It is a challenge to figure out which threats and vulnerabilities pose the greatest risk. And, most developers do not know how to protect against and respond to those risks. I had not considered some of your suggestions for determine if an applications development project team was using secure coding practices. Based on what I found, I would review the different stages of software development they should have gone through per SDLC, and check for any errors in the code using manual code reviews and static application scanning tools that review newly written code and find potential weaknesses without having to run the application.
Elizabeth Gutierrez says
To determine if an applications development project team was using secure coding practices, I would suggest analyzing stages 5 and 6 in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The point of the SDLC is to help an organization to quickly produce high-quality software which is well-tested and ready for production use. Stage 5 is related to the evaluation of the created code by testing it for defects, bugs, deficiencies, and overall performance. It is the best way to ensure that the code is reliable and meets the standards. Stage 6 involves deploying the product or code to users, however, many organizations choose to move the product through additional deployment environments such as testing or staging environments. This is beneficial because it can catch any mistakes that were overlooked in the testing process. Additional efforts and/or tools that can check for any mistakes made or left unnoticed in the development process are static application scanning tools, manual code reviews, and guides and checklists which remind programmers of typical mistakes to be avoided.
Yangyuan Lin says
Hi Elizabeth,
I think what you said about analyzing the software development life cycle (SDL) is a good method. The benefits of SDL also include higher security: In SDL, continuous monitoring of vulnerabilities can improve application quality and reduce business risks. Reduce costs: In SDL, early attention to defects can significantly reduce the amount of work required to detect and repair defects. Compliance: SDL encourages a serious approach to safety-related laws and regulations. Ignoring them can result in fines and penalties, even if sensitive data is not lost.
Yangyuan Lin says
Resource owners and resource custodians must ensure that security training and review are included in every stage of the software development life cycle, describe insecure coding, and discover vulnerabilities in application software to reduce the theft of sensitive data. Safe coding practices and attention to security risks are integrated into daily operations and development processes. Regardless of the equipment used for programming, application developers must complete secure coding requirements. Before developing secure applications, an effective training plan should be developed so that developers can learn important secure coding principles and how to apply these principles.