Research shows that around 74% of applications have at least one security hole that hackers can use. These malware and threats give cyber criminals easy access to systems, which can cause big problems for companies if they aren’t fixed right away.
The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) outlines the stages in building software applications for you and provides a framework to help teams understand the process.
We live in an era of rapidly increasing cyber threats; therefore, implementing a cybersecurity SDLC is important to create secure, robust software that protects your system from the ground up.
In this article, we will look at the importance of cybersecurity in SDLC, the main phases of SDLC, common threats, and best practices for implementing cybersecurity. Let’s explore them together!
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the art of protecting networks, data, and devices from unauthorized access or criminal use of data. Implementing security measures protects computers, networks, and data from digital threats.
There are some elements to encompass cybersecurity:
- Network Security: It includes protecting networks, computers, and data against unauthorized acts.
- Data Security: It involves security measures to secure data such as encryption and authentication.
- Application Security: It involves security steps to protect applications from malicious attacks.
- Identity and Access Management: It includes security measures to protect user information like passwords or biometric data.
- Cloud Security: This means taking steps to keep cloud-based systems safe, like access control and security protocols.
- Operational Security: Includes things like security awareness training to help keep the whole system safe.
Importance of Cybersecurity In the Software Development Lifecycle
Secure software development is important because it helps organizations develop secure software that is resistant to attacks and can protect sensitive data. Software is used to store and integrate data, which is why it needs to be protected from cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity in the SDLC is vital for ensuring data privacy and system integrity. Here is how it protects the software:
- Reduces security risks
- Protects the reputation of organizations
- Ensures regular compliance
- Saves organizational costs
- Ensures user privacy
- Provides peace of mind and confidence
Building Secure Software: The 5 SDLC Cybersecurity Phases
The five phases of cybersecurity in software development protect systems from cyber threats by always looking for ways to identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. Let’s learn more about this:
Identification
The first step is to find the most important assets for managing security. It means making a list of things like data, devices, and apps to find weaknesses. Teams can improve security by looking at and finding weak spots and then focusing on the most dangerous areas.
Protection
In this step, security measures are put in place to protect the assets that have been found. It includes setting up access control, encrypting data, and checking traffic with firewalls. It also includes secure coding, regular patching, and user training to reduce mistakes.
Detection
This stage needs to be watched all the time to find possible security threats. In this step, different tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR), intrusion detection systems (IDS), threat detection tools, and real-time log analysis help find people who shouldn’t be able to access the system. Teams can set up alerts, automated responses, and find suspicious behavior.
Response
In this step, a thorough incident response is created with detailed steps to isolate threats, communicate with stakeholders, and document actions. It includes isolating affected systems, conducting root cause analysis, and applying remedy actions. Regular stimulation and drills help the team in the smooth flow of operations.
Recover Stage
After the threat is gone, the team works on getting the system back up and running and integrated. This includes restoring data from backups, fixing systems, and installing patches to stop the problem from happening again. Post-incident reviews also find any holes in security measures and make them stronger.
The 5 Phases of Cybersecurity SDLC
Click on each phase to learn more
Click on any phase above to see details
Common Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities
There are some common types of cyber threats such as:
- Malware
It is a broad term that includes viruses, worms, ransomware, spyware, and Trojans. These programs are made to steal information and hurt computers and networks.
- Social Engineering and Phishing
Phishing is a kind of social engineering in which people pretend to be real users to get sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information and use it for bad things.
There are two kinds of phishing: whaling and spear phishing. Spear phishing attacks specific people or groups, while whaling attacks famous people to get sensitive information.
- DoS And DDoS Attacks
A Denial of Service attack (DoS) tries to stop the software from working normally by sending it too much traffic. Distributed Denial of Service attacks are more advanced types that use many hacked systems to send a lot of traffic to the target. The attack is spread out, which makes it harder to find and move.
- Man in the Middle Attack
When an attacker gets in the way of two or more people, it is called a man-in-the-middle attack. This puts their privacy and security at risk.
- SQL Injection
Malware is put into a web application through SQL injection to steal its data. There are three main types of SQL injections:
- Shops XSS: Bad code is saved on the server and runs when the user visits it.
- Reflected XSS: URLs or form fields send code from the server to the browser.
- Based on DOM XSS: Runs right in the Document Object Model.
- Supply Chain Attacks
Supply chain attacks target vulnerabilities within the development ecosystems by exploiting third party dependencies, libraries, or vendor systems. Three common types of supply chain attacks are:
- Software supply chain attacks.
- Hardware supply chain attacks.
- Cloud service provider attacks.
- Zero-Day Exploit
In Zero-Day exploits, the vendor is unaware of vulnerabilities in software or hardware. As it is unknown to the vendor, it is challenging to defend against Zero-Day attacks.
Best Practices to Implement Cybersecurity in the SDLC
We have taken out some ways to prepare your company for secure development, such as:
- Establishing a secure software development policy: Having a clear policy in cybersecurity SDLC can help ensure that all team members understand the importance of security and are aware of the specific steps necessary for the protection of the software.
- Providing Training and Resources: Proper training of the team members ensured a reduction in manual errors. It may include training on coding practices, threat modeling, and other topics.
- Establishing a secure development environment: Ensuring the development program is safe and secure prevents security breaches during development. It may include implementing access controls and threat management.
- Implementing a secure change management process: A secured change management process in place can ensure all the changes in the software are reviewed and approved by parties before implementing. This can help prevent vulnerabilities entering into the software.
- Authentication and Authorization: Use MFA and strong passwords to secure access control.
- Regular audits and testing: Conduct security audits to detect potential threats and adapt to changing risks.
- Patch Management: Automate updates for all software components to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Building Secure Software: Your Next Steps
In this article, we took a deep look into cybersecurity SDLC by shedding light on its importance, stages, common vulnerabilities, and best practices to implement to avoid these threats for your secure software development. If you want to make your network and software strong and protected from cyber attacks, consult our experts.
We can help you incorporate best security practices into your SDLC. From scanning vulnerabilities to incident response, Objects gives you a central place to manage your security concerns at all stages of your software projects.
