The continuously evolving threats to software applications and their ecosystems compel us to think about the security controls we use to ensure the protection of our data from malicious actors.
This is where Software Development LifeCycle (SDLC) security comes into play. Companies must ensure that, in addition to delivering innovative products to their customers ahead of the competition, security is present in every phase of the SDLC process.
To secure the entire cycle, a series of important steps must be taken, often overlooked, and the right tools must be provided to perform the necessary tasks for daily work.
In this in-depth article, we will delve into the following points:
– How can we protect the SDLC?
– Integration of security into all phases of the SDLC
– Open source security
– The “Shift Left” approach to ensure a secure SDLC
In recent years, attacks against software application layers have become increasingly common. Attackers have all the opportunities to exploit these security vulnerabilities to easily access and devastate an organization’s network.
How can we protect the SDLC?
This means integrating security practices and tools throughout the entire software development life cycle, starting from the initial stages. This approach, as early as possible, saves a lot of time and money later on, as the cost of fixing a security vulnerability once the product is implemented is much higher than resolving it in the early stages of the SDLC.
Integration of security into all phases of the SDLC
Each phase of the SDLC requires its own security measures and tools.
In each phase, automatic detection tools, priority definition, and correction can be integrated with development IDEs, configuration managers, continuous integration servers, bug tracking tools to enable development teams to address potential risks.
Planning
During this initial phase of the SDLC, developers and security experts should think about and prepare for common risks that may require attention during development.
Requirements and Analysis
In the second phase of the SDLC, requirements and analysis, choices are made regarding the technology, languages, and development frameworks that will be used. This is the time when experts need to consider what vulnerabilities could threaten the security of the selected tools, in order to make appropriate security choices during design and development.
Architecture and Design
During this phase, teams must follow architecture and design guidelines to address risks that have already been considered and analyzed in previous stages. When vulnerabilities are addressed early in the design phase, you can be sure that they will have no impact on your software during development. Processes like threat modeling and architecture risk analysis make the development process much simpler and safer.
Development
During the development phase, teams should ensure they use secure coding standards. While conducting regular code reviews to ensure the project implements specified features and functions, developers should also pay attention to any security vulnerabilities in the code.
Testing
The testing phase should include security testing, using automated DevSecOps tools to enhance application security.
It is important to remember that the DevOps approach requires continuous testing throughout the SDLC. Testing early and testing often is the best way to ensure both your products and your SDLC are protected from the outset. This means teams should start testing in the very early stages of development and that security testing doesn’t stop once the software is deployed and implemented.
Maintenance
While tests may be thorough, real-life shows that reality is never the same as the test environment. Therefore, it is necessary to be prepared to address errors or risks not previously detected and ensure that the configuration defined for the product has been executed correctly.
Even after deployment and implementation, security measures and practices must be followed during software maintenance. Products should be regularly updated to ensure they are protected from new threats and vulnerabilities and remain compatible with any new tools you may decide to adopt.
Open source security
“Attacks on the supply chain will increase in 2023 and beyond” is the single most comprehensive prediction for 2023. “Supply chain attacks occur when hackers gain access to a company’s internal mechanisms through a third-party partner, a method that provides them with a wealth of privileged information from a single breach,” explains Matt Jackson, Senior Director Security Operations at Code42. “This type of attack has already increased by over 300% in 2021, and I predict this trend will continue in 2023, with these attacks becoming more complicated and intricate.”
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools are automated technologies specifically dedicated to monitoring open source components. They alert developers in real-time to any open source risks that arise in their code and even provide information on prioritization and remedies and in some cases offer automatic fixes.
The “Shift Left” approach to ensure a secure SDLC
In information security, “Shift Left” refers to the idea of moving security controls and processes closer to the development point, in order to detect issues and vulnerabilities in the early stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC). The logic behind the left shift approach is that it is cheaper and easier to fix vulnerabilities and security issues earlier in the SDLC rather than finding and fixing them after the software has been released.
As attacks increasingly target application layers and the need to provide more secure applications to customers grows, SDLC security becomes a top priority. It is up to us to ensure that we have full visibility and control throughout the process.