That’s Why Every Organization Should Follow Secure Coding Standards!

Despite all the advantages of the internet nowadays, it has turned the digital world into a security nightmare. Examining any flaws and implementing the necessary security protocols is now a necessity rather than an option! 
In this blog post,  Zcoderz is inviting you to explore the essence of a well-documented and enforceable coding standard to secure your organization's software.

Why Is Secure Coding Important?

Systems and software are significantly used in contemporary companies and critical sectors (such as finance, healthcare, energy, and transportation). Insecure coding could cause financial and property risks, market manipulation and theft, physical harm, and even fatalities.

• • Secure coding standards are necessary because they offer some confidence that software on a system belongs to a safe organization.
  •  When properly applied, these security principles can stop, find, and close vulnerabilities that could jeopardize the software's integrity.Furthermore, secure coding is essential to contemporary software development, whether creating programs for servers, desktop computers, or mobile devices.
  • When programmers adhere to secure coding practices, they can eliminate the vulnerabilities in the software developed.
  • Secure coding guidelines identify and eliminate flaws that could be used by cybercriminals before they appear in the finished code. By creating safe code, hackers will have a more challenging time accessing systems and apps, minimizing the risk of data breaches.

Top 10 Secure Coding Practices

There is extensive documentation on secure coding standards. To help programmers minimize popular software security flaws, the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has developed a list of guidelines. The SEI CERT secure coding guidelines describe the top 10 best practices for secure coding that programmers can follow to enhance application security.

Let’s dig in!

1. Validate Input 

This deals with several different data source and input validation problems. Injection attacks, buffer overflows, and cross-site scripting are the most frequent types of cybersecurity flaws that result from external data inputs.

Therefore, it is crucial to establish security practices that define which sources can be trusted and how data from unverified sources will be verified.

2. Password administration and authentication

One practical technique to avoid cyberattacks and data breaches is restricting program access to authorized users.

Authentication and password management recommended practices include the following:

• • Using a reliable technique for password hashing.
  • Strictly adhering to the standards for password complexity and length.
  • Using multifactor authentication and storing authentication credentials on a trusted server.

3. Access Management

Authentication and access control work together to prevent unauthorized users from quickly accessing the target system. In general, it's ideal to use a standard deny strategy, which states that users who cannot provide proof of authorization should have access denied. The code must demand reauthorization regularly for access to be sustained for web apps that need long login times.

4. Simplify Code

Although it may seem contradictory, maintaining a basic and clean code is a wonderful method to increase security. This is because code vulnerabilities are more likely to be introduced by complicated architectures, and software developers should just add the necessary features and minimize any excessive complexity.

5. Cryptographic Methodologies

The above-mentioned secure coding guidelines stress the significance of putting in place strong cryptographic procedures to safeguard application user secrets. All random values created as part of the cryptographic process must be created using an authorized random number generator to prevent guessing.

6. Handling and Recording Errors

Even flawlessly written code is prone to errors. The most crucial thing is to recognize and address errors as soon as they occur to lessen their impact.

The actual logging of all events in the code is necessary for correctly recognizing faults. Developers have access to the logs so they can see possible issues. But be cautious not to put private information in error logs or messages!

7. Data Security 

The majority of cyberattacks aim to get access to sensitive data. Data protection is a crucial component of safe coding requirements, which should be no surprise. Here are some guidelines for adequate data security:

The following guidelines should be followed: 

• • The principle of least privilege, states that code should only be executed with the minimum set of privileges required to complete a task.
  • Routine deletion of temporary or cached copies of confidential copies stored on the server.
  • Never store passwords and connection strings on the client side in clear text or any other way that isn't encrypted.

8. Threat Modelling

You can only effectively defend yourself from hazards that you are aware of. Threat modelling is crucial because of this. It entails detecting possible dangers and then formulating defences to stop or lessen their impact. To make sure that any new risks are included, a threat modelling exercise should be conducted periodically.

9. Not Only Coding

Most code-related vulnerabilities should be reduced or eliminated by following the recommendations. However, keeping your code secure is a continual process that requires attention.

Other components of a comprehensive strategy for writing secure programming need to be as the following:

• • A \"least privilege\" based system will prevent injection attacks by allowing access to any code as required. Working with independent developers or software development companies can be highly challenging.
  • Depth in Defense As code is moved into production, keep adding layers of defense. Make sure your code and runtime environments are both secure.
  • Use effective quality assurance techniques. To assure quality, use tools like code reviews and PEN tests.
  •  Recognize how to incorporate secure code into the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). Using an SDLC methodology, you can ensure that security permeates all phases of the development lifecycle.

10. Server-Side Request Forgery

Server-side request forgery (SSRF) can occur when a web application requests a remote resource without checking the user-provided URL. This enables an attacker to overcome network access control lists, firewalls, and VPNs to force an application to deliver a prepared request to an unexpected address. The severity and frequency of SSRF attacks are rising, partly due to cloud services and increasing architectural sophistication.

 Seeker is the ideal option as a cutting-edge AST tool that can track, monitor, and detect SSRF without extra scanning and sorting; Seeker can detect any potential SSRF vulnerabilities, thanks to advanced hardware and proxy-based technology.

Eventually,

Now, you know why your organization needs to partner with an experienced software development team.

Enjoy the highest standard Cyber Security Services with the best professional product design and software development services and contact Zcoderz immediately!