1.
Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC & SSDLC)
What is SDLC?
The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) is a structured process for developing software. It outlines
various stages to deliver software that meets business, functional, and security requirements.
Phases of SDLC:
1. Requirements Gathering:
o Define functional and security needs.
o Example: A banking application requires users to log in securely, which involves
integrating multi-factor authentication (MFA) as part of the security requirement.
2. Design:
o Create a secure architecture and perform threat modeling to identify potential risks.
o Example: Design a payment gateway ensuring sensitive data like credit card numbers are
encrypted end-to-end using AES encryption.
3. Implementation (Coding):
o Follow secure coding practices to avoid introducing vulnerabilities.
o Example: Use parameterized queries instead of dynamic SQL to prevent SQL injection.
4. Testing:
o Test the application for vulnerabilities and bugs using static and dynamic analysis.
o Example: Tools like SonarQube can check source code for flaws, while Burp Suite can test
the running application for XSS vulnerabilities.
5. Deployment:
o Securely deploy applications with hardened configurations.
o Example: Disable unused ports and services on a web server hosting an e-commerce
application.
6. Maintenance:
o Continuously monitor and patch the application to address new vulnerabilities.
o Example: Apply updates to fix vulnerabilities reported in third-party libraries used by the
application.
What is SSDLC?
Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) is an enhanced version of SDLC that integrates security
measures at every phase. It ensures that applications are designed, developed, and deployed with
security as a core component rather than an afterthought.
SSDLC Enhancements:
Threat Modeling: Conducted during the design phase to anticipate and mitigate potential
threats.
Security Testing: Includes automated tools for SAST, DAST, and interactive testing (IAST).
Continuous Monitoring: Identifies and remediates vulnerabilities post-deployment using tools
like SIEM or endpoint protection platforms.
Benefits:
Early detection and prevention of vulnerabilities reduce cost and effort.
Compliance with security standards like PCI DSS, GDPR, or HIPAA is easier to achieve.
2. Secure Code Development Environment
A secure development environment ensures that the process of writing, testing, and deploying code is
protected against threats such as unauthorized access, code tampering, and malware infiltration.
Components:
1. Access Controls:
o Restrict access to source code repositories using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
o Example: Only senior developers can merge code into the main branch.
2. Version Control Systems:
o Ensure secure versioning of code with tools like GitHub or GitLab.
o Example: Enable signed commits to verify the identity of contributors.
3. Code Reviews:
o Peer and automated reviews to detect vulnerabilities in code.
o Example: Developers review new code for compliance with OWASP secure coding
standards before it is merged.
4. Dependency Management:
o Regularly audit and update third-party libraries to fix vulnerabilities.
o Example: Using OWASP Dependency-Check to flag outdated libraries with known CVEs
(Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures).
5. Secure Build Processes:
o Use Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate
security checks.
o Example: A Jenkins pipeline running automated SAST scans before deploying code to
production.
6. Environment Isolation:
o Separate development, testing, and production environments to prevent cross-
environment issues.
o Example: Use containers like Docker for isolated testing environments.
7. Secure Storage of Secrets:
o Store API keys and credentials in secret management tools like HashiCorp Vault instead
of hardcoding them into source code.
8. Logging and Monitoring:
o Implement centralized logging to detect unauthorized activities.
o Example: Use ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) to monitor application logs for
anomalies.
3. Application Security Components
Authentication and Authorization
Authentication verifies user identity.
Authorization determines what actions users are allowed to perform.
Best Practices:
1. Use strong authentication mechanisms like MFA, password policies, and biometrics.
o Example: Google Accounts requiring a password and a verification code sent to your
phone.
2. Enforce fine-grained authorization using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
o Example: A hospital system allowing only doctors to view patient records but not modify
billing data.
Data Protection
1. Encryption:
o Protect data at rest with AES and in transit with TLS.
o Example: Encrypting customer data stored in a database to prevent unauthorized access
during a breach.
2. Tokenization:
o Replace sensitive data with tokens to reduce exposure.
o Example: Using payment tokens instead of storing credit card numbers.
3. Data Masking:
o Hide sensitive data in test environments.
o Example: Masking Social Security numbers by displaying only the last four digits.
Input Validation and Sanitization
Input validation ensures that user inputs match expected formats.
Sanitization removes malicious content from user inputs.
Example:
Validation: Only allow numbers for age input fields.
Sanitization: Strip HTML tags from user comments to prevent XSS attacks.
Session Management
Use secure session tokens and HTTPS to prevent hijacking.
Example: Invalidate tokens on logout or after a period of inactivity.
Logging and Monitoring
Implement logging for all critical events, such as failed login attempts.
Example: Alerting security teams when a user logs in from multiple geographic locations in a
short period.
Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP)
Monitors applications at runtime and automatically mitigates threats.
Example: Blocking an attempted SQL injection attack dynamically.
Web Application Firewalls (WAFs)
Protect web applications from malicious traffic.
Example: AWS WAF blocks requests containing patterns of known SQL injection attempts.
4. Secure API Development
1. Authentication:
o Require API keys or OAuth 2.0 tokens for all API calls.
o Example: A weather API that restricts access to authenticated users with an API key.
2. Rate Limiting:
o Prevent abuse by limiting the number of requests.
o Example: Restricting a user to 100 requests per minute to prevent DoS attacks.
3. Input Validation:
o Ensure only valid data is accepted by APIs.
o Example: Restricting a "zipcode" parameter to five numeric digits.
5. Threat Mitigation Techniques
1. Patching and Updates:
o Regularly update software and libraries to fix vulnerabilities.
o Example: Applying a security patch for a recently discovered Log4j vulnerability.
2. Fuzz Testing:
o Input random or malformed data to uncover crashes.
o Example: Testing a payment processor with random inputs to find edge cases that cause
errors.
3. Penetration Testing:
o Simulate attacks to find vulnerabilities.
o Example: A red team attempting SQL injection on an e-commerce website to test
database security.
6. Compliance and Frameworks
OWASP Top 10:
A comprehensive guide to the most critical application security risks, including injection, XSS,
and sensitive data exposure.
NIST SP 800-53:
Guidelines for security and privacy controls, including application development.
ISO/IEC 27034:
Focuses on secure application lifecycle management.
