Was your application developed using secure coding techniques?
Explanation
Secure development practices sit at the heart of this requirement, which asks whether your applications are built using secure coding techniques. Secure coding techniques are methodologies, practices, and tools that developers use to prevent security vulnerabilities from being introduced into software during the development process.
Why it's being asked:
Security assessors want to understand if your development process proactively addresses security concerns rather than treating security as an afterthought. Applications developed without secure coding practices are more likely to contain vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized access, or other security incidents.
How to best answer it:
Provide specific details about your secure coding practices, including:
- Coding standards and guidelines followed (e.g., OWASP Top 10, SANS CWE Top 25)
- Security training for developers
- Use of secure coding frameworks or libraries
- Code review processes that include security considerations
- Static and dynamic application security testing tools used
- Vulnerability management processes
Avoid vague responses like simply stating 'yes' without supporting details. The more specific information you can provide about your secure coding practices, the more confidence the assessor will have in your security posture.
Example Responses
Example Response 1
Yes, our application was developed using secure coding techniques Our development team follows the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and SANS Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Errors as guidelines All developers undergo annual secure coding training We implement security controls at each phase of our SDLC, including threat modeling during design, peer code reviews with security checklists, and both static (SonarQube and Checkmarx) and dynamic (OWASP ZAP) application security testing tools integrated into our CI/CD pipeline We also conduct regular security code reviews and third-party penetration testing annually Our build process automatically checks for vulnerable dependencies using OWASP Dependency-Check, and we maintain a vulnerability management program to address identified issues based on risk.
Example Response 2
Yes, our application development follows secure coding techniques based on Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) We've implemented mandatory security training for all developers, with specialized courses for those working on authentication and payment processing modules Our secure coding standards are enforced through automated code analysis tools (Veracode and ESLint with security plugins) that run on every commit We use a secure-by-default framework (ASP.NET Core) with built-in protections against common vulnerabilities like XSS, CSRF, and SQL injection Our QA process includes dedicated security testing phases, and we conduct quarterly security assessments with our internal red team Additionally, we've implemented a bug bounty program to identify security issues that might have been missed during development.
Example Response 3
No, we have not yet fully implemented secure coding techniques across our development process While some of our senior developers follow best practices individually, we don't currently have formalized secure coding standards or training in place We perform basic code reviews, but these don't specifically focus on security concerns We're aware of the importance of secure development and are working to improve in this area We've recently purchased licenses for a static code analysis tool and are planning to implement it in the next quarter Additionally, we've scheduled security training for our development team and are in the process of documenting secure coding standards based on OWASP guidelines In the meantime, we rely on our WAF and network security controls to mitigate potential application vulnerabilities.
Context
- Tab
- Infrastructure
- Category
- Application/Service Security
Related questions
- Are access controls for institutional accounts based on structured rules, such as role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), or policy-based access control (PBAC)?
- Are you using a web application firewall (WAF)?
- Are only currently supported operating system(s), software, and libraries leveraged by the system(s)/application(s) that will have access to institution's data?
- Does your application require access to location or GPS data?
- Does your application provide separation of duties between security administration, system administration, and standard user functions?
- Do you subject your code to static code analysis and/or static application security testing prior to release?
