Cybersecurity Essentials for Software Developers

Software development is becoming complex, and a new approach is being used to create cross-functional hybrid teams. 

This means some developers work on-site while others develop parts of software code remotely. While this approach has benefited agility, speed, and scalability, security challenges have increased.

A significant challenge for software developers working remotely is ensuring security. Organizations with tightly knit networks on-site have better protection against cyberattacks. 

Remote developers need to provide the same level of security while using network environments at their location. This gets more complicated as code built on remote devices is merged with a centralized repository.

In addition to this complexity, software security costs increase each year. According to Forbes, the global economy's cybersecurity cost will be $10.5 billion by the end of 2024. So, there is no denying that cybersecurity needs to be a part of your software development plan. 

It includes security policy development, implementation measures, risk assessments, and software developer training.

However, knowing the prerequisites and essentials is crucial before you plan your cybersecurity plan. This article will help you with the core essentials a software developer must know to ensure security against cyber threats.

Prerequisites of Software Cybersecurity

If you are a software developer, standard coding practices are the first significant security prerequisite. Yes, if you can ensure vulnerability-free code, it can make a huge difference. 

However, ensuring zero vulnerability is next to impossible, so testing your code is another crucial prerequisite. Some other prerequisites to keep in mind are,

Software Security Requirement Definition

Software developers need to have a requirement defined for security measures. For example, developers need to determine software testing requirements. Analyze the testability of the software and have a testing plan. 

Similarly, if you are a software developer looking to define essential software security requirements, here are some key questions to ask, 

• What is the coverage and effectiveness of software testing?
• Is the software testing plan comprehensive?
• Do software development and testing teams understand the reason behind each test?
  Are these teams on the same page?
• Are there any inconsistencies when implementing tests across software?

These questions should be part of your software security requirement document. It documents everything from requirements to possible outcomes and a security policy outline. 

Outline Functional Security Requirements 

Create an outline of what security functionalities are for your software. This will allow software developers to determine which security mechanism is meant for a specific function. 

For example, determine the function if you use two-factor authentications for your software. You will implement it to ensure secure login for users or some other function. 

Similarly, outline all the functional requirements related to software security. This includes the threat intelligence report indicating what cyberattacks you need to protect the system. 

For example, if you want to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, you can use SSL certificates. List all the possible cyber threats and devise what security functions and measures you need to avoid them.

Determine Non-functional Elements

Non-functional elements are not the ones you don’t need. As a software developer, you need to ensure the system's auditability.

This includes defining specific policies of logging, monitoring, and documentation that support the auditing of systems. 

Similarly, you must determine key support elements that will help improve software security. 

Understand The Derived Requirements

Derived requirements stem from both functional and non-functional security requirements. For example, derived requirements for a user login can be the number of failed attempts, which are further deemed fit for account blockage.

Especially if you are determining the audibility of a system, knowing the derived requirements can help.

Identify Key Areas to Secure

Now that you have all the requirements ready, one aspect of cybersecurity needs consideration—“Prioritization.” Before creating a cybersecurity essentials checklist, decide which aspect you want to prioritize. 

For example, software developers must prioritize encryptions first or sanitize code. Similarly, several key prioritizations must be considered when creating a requirement document for software security.

Now that you have a document ready with all the cybersecurity requirements listed, you need to identify the core essentials of software cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Essentials Checklist Every Software Developer Needs

Creating the software security checklist requires more than just making it. You also need to consider the implementation part. So, while you tick all the boxes in the checklist, ensure your implementation is up to the mark. Here is what you need to add to the checklist regarding the implementation aspect.

Upload Your Code Securely

If you have a team of developers working remotely, there are risks of malicious code injections during local development. Security risks can exist when these developers merge the code with a central repository. 

To avoid such a scenario, data must be encrypted using SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) and FTPS (File Transfer Protocol Secure) protocols. For example, you must configure SFTP protocols when setting up a Linux server to ensure secure file transfers.

It ensures that data within your software is not unauthorized. Another way to provide secure code uploading is to create virtual spaces or sandboxes. Developers can work within these safe spaces, isolating the project environments. 

Here are other tips to follow for secure code uploads,

• Integrate web server setups like Apache, Nginx, or Tomcat to ensure a streamlined environment. This improves workflows and ensures efficient testing.
• Ensure you implement a private access policy for GIT repositories for better security.
• Controlled data access will also ensure the remote and onsite teams are secure. 

Scan Your Codes 

When adding code to the Git repository, software developers must ensure that users' data is not exposed. You can use the following tools to ensure data security through code scanning,

• The “.gitignore” file ensures specific files are not added to the Git repository, reducing the risk of exposing user data.
• The “git secrets” tool helps developers scan for secrets(sensitive data) being uploaded to git.
• “Trufflehog” searches through the Git repository for any sensitive information so that you can remove it.

Ensure Docker Image Security

Docker images are your resource and contain everything you need to create a container. So, securing a Docker image is crucial to maintaining application security. 

Software developers can use tools like Snyk to scan container images and ensure no security issues. This means the application's deployment environment is not vulnerable. 

Maintaining the security of the Docker images is also a development best practice because it can impact your container deployments. You can further leverage Kubernetes to employ container orchestration and improve development efficiency. 

Check Code Quality

Checking code quality is necessary and can impact the entire user experience. If your code is vulnerable, it can cause data theft, leaving your customers facing financial fraud. Checking the code quality will ensure no vulnerabilities in the source code. 

So, when implemented, this code offers users secure access to data. Developers can leverage tools like SonarQube to check code quality continuously throughout the software development phases. 

Prioritize Backend Security

The software backend allows all the functions to be executed according to the business logic. The onus of data served as per user request rests on a backend. So, securing the backend is the most significant. There are many ways to ensure the backend is secure, such as, 

• Installing digital certificates: You can install SSL/TLS certificates to ensure secure communication between the server and the browser. This also secures data exchanges between your software and the user’s device or browser. 
• Web Application Firewalls (WAF): Use WAF to block malicious traffic through effective monitoring and filtering. You can configure WAFs according to cyber threats and ensure enhanced security.
• Use CDNs: Content Delivery Networks(CDNs) can improve web app performance by caching data. You can also add secure content delivery policies to protect static and dynamic data.

Make Sure Software APIs Are Secure

APIs allow your software to connect with other interfaces and apps. External apps can inject malicious code and exploit vulnerabilities if your API is insecure. 

Here are some tips to improve API security,

• Implement authentication mechanisms that make sure only authorized users access data.
• Limit the rate of API requests your software caters to in a given period.
• Monitor API activity and ensure a quick response if there is suspicious activity.

Have a Centralized Monitoring and Logging Mechanism

Software developers must monitor the software for security breaches and log vital events. This allows developers to determine the system's operational health and understand its security posture.

Here are some tips to follow for efficient monitoring and logging, 

• Implement data logging solutions such as AWS CloudWatch, Datadog, and the ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana).
• Have a centralized log management system for simplified collection, storage, and analysis of security events.
• Restrict the access to log data leveraging Identity and Access Management(IAM) policies. 

Conduct Extensive Security Testing 

The software cybersecurity essentials checklist is complete with a testing stage. These tests allow you to understand vulnerabilities, bugs, and possible bottlenecks that cyberattackers can exploit. 

Some of the crucial tests you need to conduct are, 

• Penetration testing: Simulate the cyber attack on your software and check the level of exploitation that can happen. 
• Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Use it to analyze the source code and find security issues. It does not require running the program. 
• Dynamic Analysis (DAST): This testing simulates an attack while your software runs. It allows you to understand security challenges once the software is operational. 

Signing Off

Software cybersecurity challenges are many, and so are the essentials. You must be prepared with an essential cybersecurity checklist as a software developer. 

You must also document all your cybersecurity prerequisites before you plan for software security. 

The above checklist is a partial one as each software has specific aspects. So, if you are planning to have extensive cybersecurity measures for your software, leverage the checklist discussed above but make sure you align it with your security needs.