Category: Secure Software Development

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Software Development Secure from the Start!

Are you using an outdated software development process?

Top Priority

Cyber threats have increased alarmingly in recent years. Recent high-profile breaches of data show the financial and reputational damage that can be caused to organizations when their vulnerabilities are exploited. Security must be built into products and systems right from the start. Security issues cannot be tested late in the lifecycle of development. To maintain data integrity & confidentiality, development teams need to adopt secure coding practices from the very beginning.

The Failed Approach

Traditional security approaches are often inadequate when it comes to developing secure software. It has been proven that adding security to a project as an afterthought or bolting it on is not the best way. This method has several flaws.

  • Repairing security problems late in the development process can be expensive and time-consuming. This may result in significant rework and delay project timelines, increasing costs.
  • Delaying security measures increases the risk that a data breach or security breach will occur. Long-term vulnerabilities can be overlooked, which makes it easier for hackers to exploit.
  • Limited Visibility: It is difficult to address security issues proactively when there is limited visibility of potential risks.
  • Shifting security left means bringing the assessment and remediation of security processes closer to where the software development cycle begins. Security is no longer an afterthought, but an integral part of software development.

 Shift to the left in several ways, includes:

  • Security awareness: Inform all developers and stakeholders about best security practices.
  • Threat modelling: Identifying and assessing potential threats to software during the design phase.
  • Secure Coding: Use secure coding tools and practices to prevent vulnerabilities being introduced into code.
  • Use static analysis to find potential security flaws in code.
  • Use dynamic analysis to find potential security flaws in running software.
  • Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery CI/CD: Integrate security in the CI/CD pipe to ensure that all code changes are security checked before being deployed to production.

Shifting Left in Action, includes:

  • Requirements phase: Define the security requirements from the start of the project. Identify specific threats and vulnerabilities to application.
  • Design Phase: Integrate security concerns into the software design. Assert that security controls and features are a part of architecture.
  • During the entire development phase, adhere to secure coding guidelines and practices. Regular code reviews will help identify and resolve security issues as early as possible.
  • Testing Phase: Conduct comprehensive security tests, including DAST and IAST, to detect any vulnerabilities as soon they appear.
  • Deployment phase: Monitor the application continuously in its operational environment to identify security threats and vulnerabilities.

Key Practices

We can all agree that software development is a complicated process. However, there are many frameworks and best practices that can guide us to mature this process.

Let’s start by talking about the Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF). SSDF is an approach to software development which prioritizes security across the development lifecycle. The SSDF includes practices like threat modelling, secured coding, vulnerability management and can help identify potential security risks and mitigate them before they become problems.

SSDF Key Practices includes:

  • Risk management: Identifying and assessing security risks during the SDLC.
  • Security requirements: Define security requirements and implement them early in the SDLC.
  • Secure Design: Create software that is resistant against attack.
  • Implement software in a safe manner.
  • Security Testing: Test software for vulnerabilities at all stages of the SDLC.
  • Deployment: Maintain and deploy software in a safe manner.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) SP 800218 Special Publication provides guidelines for secure software design. This publication includes everything from secure coding to threat modelling and risk management.

NIST 800-218 Key Security Controls in Include:

  • Access control: Implement controls that restrict access to software components and their components.
  • Audit and accountability: Tracking and logging user activity is a good way to identify and respond to security incidents.
  • Training and awareness: Inform and train staff on best security practices.
  • Configuration management is the process of managing and controlling software configurations.
  • Incident response: Establish a system to deal with security incidents.

Both the OWASP Security Top 10 CI/CD Risks and OWASP Secure Code Practices are valuable resources for software developers who wish to build secure software. These resources provide recommendations on how to improve security. They cover everything from secure code practices to vulnerability scans and penetration tests.

To ensure software is secure, it is also important to use automated tools and techniques for Continuous Application Security Testing (CAST).

Integrate Security into CI/CD pipes

Integrating Continuous Security Testing into CI/CD Pipelines is all about proactively identifying any new vulnerabilities that are introduced during code updates or changes, and then addressing them. This ensures that secure configurations will be created. 

Take these practices to heart, and integrate a “secure-by-default” mindset into development and release process.

  • Static application security testing SAST: Tools like SAST that scan source code and look for vulnerabilities before executing the code. This is like proofreading code.
  • Dynamic Application Security Test DAST: Tools like DAST that perform dynamic analysis of applications in an active state to simulate real-world attacks. Consider it a stress test for security.
  • Software Composition Analyse SCA: SCA Tools analyse the software’s dependencies and highlight any opensource components that have known vulnerabilities.
  • Infrastructure as code IaC analysis: By analysing the code that defines infrastructure, developers can identify misconfigurations or potential security vulnerabilities.
  • Vulnerability scanning: Vulnerability scans are used to identify vulnerabilities in infrastructure and code. This allows them to be addressed quickly. Timing is key Schedule regular vulnerability scanning to stay on top of potential threats.

When integrating security in a CI/CD pipeline, there are some key points to remember:

  • Early integration of security checks is key. This will find and fix any vulnerabilities before they become difficult or expensive to fix.
  • Automate as much Possible: As many security checks as possible should be automated. This will ensure that the checks are done consistently and no vulnerabilities are overlooked.
  • Use multiple tools: A single security tool cannot detect all vulnerabilities. Therefore, use several tools to gain a complete picture of  security posture.

This is an example CI/CD pipeline which integrates security checks – A 4-Eye principal should be included at each step.

  • Source control is the process of committing code.
  • Use SAST and SCA to analyse the code for any vulnerabilities.
  • Build the application, and then run unit tests.
  • Deploy application in a staging environment.
  • Use DAST to scan application for vulnerabilities.
  • Review the results manually.
  • Repair any vulnerabilities found.
  • Deployment of the application in production

The Business Benefits

Embedding security into the development process can speed up the time to market. DevSecOps and Secure Software Development life cycle (SSDLC) are complementary practices that help improve software security.

SSDLC is an approach to integrating security in all phases of software development, from requirements gathering through deployment and maintenance. DevSecOps emphasizes communication and collaboration between security and development teams.

How Can ITM Help You?

IT Minister covers all aspects of Cyber Security including but not limited to Home cyber Security Managed Solutions to automated, Manage Threat Intelligence, Digital Forensic Investigations, Penetration Testing, Mobile Device Management, Cloud Security Best Practice & Secure Architecture by Design and Cyber Security Training. Our objective is to support organisations and consumers at every step of their cyber maturity journey. Contact Us for more information.