Secure Software Development Planning
The main purpose of the secure software development planning is to prepare the organization for any security risks as well as the range of functionality designed to protect the systems. A well-prepared organization is less likely to make critical security errors that cause harm to their clients’ sensitive data.
An informed organization will also be well-prepared to deal with any system malfunctions that may arise in a timely manner. Factors of a well-structured organization include clearly defined roles and responsibilities that dictate each developer’s specific designations, as well as ample amounts of tools and resources to make the implementation easier and more secure for the development team.
The following 4 steps must be considered in the secure software development planning phase:
Defining Security Requirements
It is vital that software developers understand the security risks that they face before starting the development process, in order to develop around them. Software developed with all relevant security risks and legality in mind will be better suited for security and compliance, ensuring the safety of all parties involved.
Implementing Clear Roles and Responsibilities
A clear set of roles and responsibilities makes the development process more efficient as well as more transparent. Any malfunctions in the system can be more easily traced back to the source if the members of the development team are held accountable. Accountability also enables developer roles to be updated in accordance with their work. In an organization where everyone’s roles are evaluated and updated accordingly, the team will work more efficiently and logically.
Implementing a Supporting Toolchain
Organizations can implement automated toolchains to enable more secure and accurate security protocols for their developers. The process of automation relieves humans from needing to constantly survey and update the system. Toolchains may be implemented at any level of development (system-wide or simply localized to one project) to assist in the securing process.
Security Criteria for Secure Software Development Planning
Even with automation, it is necessary to manually verify the system on occasion. The checker must know what the code should look like and how it should function, what data should be on it, and be able to identify major security risks. Any accessible data should be used to strengthen this process.
Secure software development planning is within the scope of the Certified Identity Management Professional (CIMP) certification program. Apply for CIMP certification.
