The Importance of a Secure Software Development Lifecycle

The Importance of a Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) 

The Software Development lifecycle (SDLC) is a process for producing software at the highest quality, lowest cost, and shortest possible time. It provides a structured and coherent flow for each phase, helping an organization quickly produce high-quality, well-tested software ready for use in an operational environment. 

Zcoderz will raise the curtain on the importance of a secure software development Lifecycle (SDLC) with its stages, models, and benefits. 

Read on! 

How Does The Software Development Lifecycle Work? 

SDLC reduces the cost of software development while increasing quality and minimizing production time. The software development lifecycle achieves these goals by following models that operate along these three axes. 

These models begin by evaluating existing structures to identify deficiencies and defects. It defines the new structure requirements, producing the software through analysis stages, planning, design, development, testing, and deployment. SDLC can eliminate unnecessary rework by anticipating costly mistakes, such as not asking the end-user or customer for feedback,  

A crucial and notable point in the SDLC model is the strong focus on the testing phase. As SDLC is an iterative method, the quality of the code must be ensured in each cycle. Many organizations spend little effort on testing the product, while a stronger focus on testing can save time and money. 

What Are The 7 Stages of the Software Development lifecycle (SDLC)? 

By following best practices and stages of the software production and development lifecycle, you can ensure an effective and efficient approach to these processes. 

What are the current problems?   

This stage of the SDLC involves getting input from all stakeholders, including customers, vendors, industry experts, and programmers. The strengths and weaknesses of the current system should be identified with the aim of improving it. 

What do we want?   

In this phase, the development team determines the cost and resources needed to implement the analyzed requirements. It also details the risks and describes the plans for mitigating each of these risks. 

In other words, the team must determine the feasibility of the project and how to successfully implement the project with the least perceived risk. 

How do we get what we want?  

This phase begins with the software specifications being written in a document called a design specification. All stakeholders then review the design and provide feedback and suggestions. Having a plan for gathering and incorporating stakeholder suggestions into this document is critical. Ignoring this important point will inevitably lead to failure, increased costs, and in the worst case, the complete collapse of the project. 

Let's build what we want. This is where the real progress begins.  

It's important that each software developer adheres to the agreed-upon outline. Also, make sure you have proper guidelines for coding style and manner. 

For example, using a standard naming style for files or variables used in the program will help your team produce neat and consistent code that is easier for everyone to understand and can help you resolve potential bugs more quickly during the testing phase. 

Have we achieved what we wanted?   

In this phase, we will look into the defects and deficiencies. We will continue to fix the problems until the product meets the original specifications. 

In short, we want to check whether the code meets the defined requirements. 

Let's start with what we have built.  

At this stage, the goal is to deploy the software in a production environment so that users can use the product. However, in many large organizations, they test the product in various test environments before moving it to production. 

This allows each stakeholder to safely evaluate the product before releasing it to the market. Additionally, doing so allows any final errors to be identified before the product is released. 

Let's get this product closer to what we want it to be.  

The reality is that this part of the program will almost never be finished. Furthermore, we need to update and develop the software as conditions change in the real world. 

The DevOps movement has changed the SDLC approach in some ways. In the DevOps-style software development model, responsible developers take more steps along the development process. 

The value of change can also be seen more clearly. When development and operations teams use the same tools to track software performance and investigate defects from the start to the end of an application, it provides a common language and faster transitions across teams. 

Application performance monitoring tools can be used in development, quality testing, and production environments, allowing everyone to use the same set of tools throughout the software development lifecycle. 

Top Popular Software Development Lifecycle Models

This model is the oldest and simplest. In this method, we complete the first phase and start the second one. Each phase has its small program, and each phase “waterfalls” to the next phase. The biggest drawback of this model is that small details that are left incomplete can stop the entire process. 

The agile model in SDLC separates the product from the cycle and delivers a deliverable piece of the final product quickly. This method creates a sequence of versions. Testing each version stores information in the next version. According to Robert Nimme, the drawback of this model is that too much emphasis on customer interaction can lead to the project being steered in the wrong direction. 

This model of SDLC emphasizes iteration. Developers produce a version very quickly and at a relatively low cost, then improve it through successive, rapid releases. A major drawback to this model is that it can quickly escalate costs if the releases are left uncontrolled. 

This model is very similar to the waterfall model, except that it uses a different sampling method, in which the so-called sampling process occurs at specific points. 

This high-risk SDLC model focuses most of its resources on development and works best for small projects. It lacks the full requirements definition phase similar to other methods. 

The spiral model is one of the most widely used SDLC models and is very similar to the iterative model in its emphasis on iteration. The spiral model performs planning, design, build, and test over and over again with incremental improvements at each stage. 

What Are The Benefits Of Using The Software Development Lifecycle? 

If done correctly, SDLC can create the highest level of management control and documentation. Software developers understand what they need to build and why. All stakeholders agree on a goal before it is achieved, see a clear plan for achieving that goal, and understand all the costs and resources required. 

Several pitfalls can make the SDLC methodology a hindrance to product development rather than a tool that helps us. Failure to consider the customers needs, users and stakeholders can lead to a poor understanding of the system requirements at the outset. The SDLC will only be successful if the plan is followed faithfully. 

To Wrap Things Up 

As we discussed above, it is no secret that adhering to a correct and integrated life cycle is essential to complete the software project professionally and thus will be reflected in the ease of managing the projects themselves. 

There is no doubt that determining the best software development life cycle model for any project is a challenge due to the advantages and disadvantages of each model, but different factors such as requirements, system complexity, project size, cost, skill constraints, etc. can help us choose the best software model for developers. 

If you are sticking to a certain approach or have a project that you do not know where to start, our professional team is here to meet all your requirements professionally. 

Let’s chat about your project