Secure Software Development

Secure software development, often implemented as a Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC) or DevSecOps approach, embeds security considerations into every phase of software creation. During requirements gathering, security requirements are identified alongside functional requirements. During design, threat modeling identifies potential attack vectors and informs architecture decisions. During development, secure coding standards guide implementation, and automated tools (SAST — Static Application Security Testing) scan code for vulnerabilities. During testing, security-specific tests including DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing), SCA (Software Composition Analysis for dependency vulnerabilities), and penetration testing validate the application's security posture. During deployment, security configurations are verified, and during maintenance, vulnerabilities are tracked and patched.

Secure development practices are increasingly emphasized across compliance frameworks. ISO 27001 Annex A controls A.8.25 through A.8.31 address secure development, including secure development policy, application security requirements, secure system architecture, secure coding, security testing, outsourced development, and separation of development, testing, and production environments. SOC 2's change management criteria require that changes (including software changes) are developed and tested before deployment. NIS2 mandates cybersecurity measures in the acquisition, development, and maintenance of network and information systems, including vulnerability handling. In technology due diligence, the maturity of secure development practices is a primary assessment area.

Practical implementation of secure software development includes establishing coding standards that address common vulnerability classes (OWASP Top 10, CWE Top 25), implementing mandatory code review processes with security-aware reviewers, integrating automated security scanning into CI/CD pipelines (shifting security left), maintaining a software bill of materials (SBOM) to track dependencies and their vulnerabilities, providing developer security training, and conducting regular security assessments of applications. The cultural aspect is equally important — security should be viewed as a shared responsibility across the development team rather than a gate imposed by a separate security team. Gamification through bug bounty programs, security champions programs, and secure coding competitions can help build a security-minded development culture.