How do you train developers on secure coding practices?
Explanation & Context
Explanation of the Question
This question is asking about the methods and processes your organization uses to educate developers on secure coding practices. Secure coding practices involve writing code in a way that minimizes security vulnerabilities and protects against common threats like injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS), and buffer overflows. By training developers, your organization aims to ensure that security is integrated into the software development lifecycle from the beginning, reducing the risk of introducing vulnerabilities into the codebase.
Why It Matters
Training developers on secure coding practices is crucial because it helps prevent security flaws that could be exploited by attackers. When developers are aware of common security pitfalls and know how to avoid them, the resulting software is more robust and less likely to be compromised. This training can include workshops, online courses, coding standards documentation, and regular code reviews focused on security. For example, an organization might require developers to complete a certified secure coding course annually and participate in peer reviews where security is a key consideration.
Example of Evidence
Evidence of fulfilling this question might include documentation of the training programs offered to developers, certificates of completion for secure coding courses, and records of regular secure coding workshops. Additionally, code review checklists that emphasize security considerations and feedback from these reviews can demonstrate that secure coding practices are being integrated into the development process.
Example Responses
Example Response 1
We utilize online platforms such as Pluralsight and Coursera to provide our developers with access to secure coding courses. Additionally, we conduct bi-monthly workshops led by our security lead to discuss recent threats and best practices in secure coding. We also incorporate security checklists in our code review process to ensure adherence to secure coding standards.
Example Response 2
Our developers are required to complete an annual secure coding certification from (ISC)² and attend quarterly training sessions conducted by our dedicated security team. We have implemented a mandatory secure coding standard that all code must adhere to, and we perform automated security scans as part of our CI/CD pipeline. Furthermore, we encourage a culture of security awareness through regular hackathons focused on secure coding challenges.
Example Response 3
As our software is primarily on-premises and tailored to client specifications, we focus more on secure configuration and deployment practices rather than secure coding. However, we do provide our developers with resources and guidelines on secure coding practices relevant to their work, and we conduct periodic reviews to ensure that security considerations are integrated into the development process.
