Describe your Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC). How do you ensure code is developed securely?
Explanation & Context
Explanation of the Question
This question is asking you to describe the processes and practices your organization follows to develop software securely. The Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) is a framework that integrates security practices into each phase of the software development process. This ensures that security is considered from the initial design through to deployment and maintenance. The question aims to understand how your organization embeds security into its development practices to prevent vulnerabilities and protect against potential threats.
Why It Matters
Ensuring that code is developed securely is critical because vulnerabilities in software can lead to serious security breaches. By following a SSDLC, organizations can identify and mitigate security risks early in the development process, which is more efficient and cost-effective than addressing them after the software has been deployed. This proactive approach helps protect sensitive data, maintain customer trust, and avoid regulatory penalties. Practical examples of SSDLC practices include conducting threat modeling during the design phase, performing regular code reviews and static analysis, and implementing secure coding standards.
Example of Evidence
To demonstrate fulfillment of this question, you might provide documentation of your SSDLC policy, which outlines the security practices integrated into each development phase. This could include evidence of training programs for developers on secure coding practices, reports from regular code reviews, and results from static analysis tools used to identify vulnerabilities in the code. Additionally, you might share examples of how security issues were identified and resolved during the development process, showcasing the effectiveness of your SSDLC practices.
Example Responses
Example Response 1
Our Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) integrates security practices at every phase, starting with threat modeling during design. We utilize automated static analysis tools provided by our PaaS platform to scan for vulnerabilities in the codebase, and conduct regular peer code reviews to ensure adherence to secure coding standards.
Example Response 2
We follow a comprehensive SSDLC that includes dedicated security champions in each development team, conducting threat modeling and attack surface analysis early in the design phase. Our development environment on AWS incorporates automated security testing, including static and dynamic analysis, and we perform regular security code reviews and penetration testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities before deployment.
Example Response 3
As our software is exclusively on-premises and tailored for specific client environments, we focus on secure configuration management and regular security audits rather than a traditional SSDLC. We ensure secure development through rigorous change management processes, secure coding training for developers, and periodic third-party security assessments to validate our security posture.
