Secure Coding

Secure coding, the principle of designing code that adheres to code security best practices, safeguards and protects published code from known, unknown and unexpected vulnerabilities such as security exploits, the loss of cloud secrets, embedded credentials, shared keys,confidential business data and personally identifiable information (PII). 

It reflects a wider understanding among developers, security teams and DevOps that code security must be enforced as an integral part of CI/CD, supporting continuous changes both in code and in infrastructure, providing visibility into all seen and hidden components of a given environment.

Secure coding requires willingness, education, tools, and above all cultural change.

Why is Secure Coding Important?

Secure coding demonstrates a changing shift in responsibility by literally naming the developer as responsible for code security rather than a security team. This also paves the way for the Shift-left security concept that is already being widely adopted as part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) best practices.

Secure coding introduces an abstraction layer that scans existing code and any new code as it is committed into a code repository. It helps enforce best practices that, in turn, enforce production-ready code standards as well as prevent human error and developers “cutting corners” to meet strict deadlines. 

Secure Coding Techniques

There are countless techniques that can be introduced to protect code and business data. The fundamentals of secure coding must cover mobile devices, servers, and embedded applications. 

Here are some of the top secure coding techniques:

• Enforce Code Obfuscation: Where possible, protect your code with techniques such as code minification and code obfuscation.
• Avoid Cutting Corners: Don’t be tempted to take shortcuts. Developers have tight deadlines, but it’s essential to deliver production-ready code even if this incurs delays.
• Code Reviews: There is still a place for peer code reviews on major projects, allowing developers to bounce ideas off each other. Additionally, it gives the opportunity for additional experts to critique the code.
• Create a Culture of Security: Culture change is very difficult to achieve and it’s something that takes time to embed within the company. Taking the first steps towards the entire team promoting a security first narrative is critical to success.
• Document Standards: Secure coding standards must be documented and shared on a private repo. Writing down the rules gives the developer the opportunity to review and helps to drive culture change.
• Validate External Data Sources: Sometimes it makes sense to use modules and code that is already written. Validate that your sources are legitimate, cross-check downloads with SHA authentication and ensure any data pulled is encrypted and valid.
• Validate External Data Sources: Sometimes it makes sense to use modules and code that is already written. Validate that your sources are legitimate, cross-check downloads with SHA authentication and ensure any data pulled is encrypted and valid.
• Use Threat Modeling: Threat Modeling introduces a multistage process that examines code for weakness and vulnerabilities throughout the Software Development Process.

Secure coding training that inspires developers

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Why You Should Use Secure Coding Standards?

In the 2017 breach at Equifax, malicious individuals accessed personal information because of compromised software at the foundation of their organization. That isn’t the first organization, or the last, to find holes in its secure coding practices and leave themselves open to exploitation.

According to a 2020 survey completed by Sonatype, 24% or respondents confirmed or suspected a breach related to their application development practices. That number is staggering when you consider the odds that your organization will be next to experience a breach if you don’t initiate coding security best practices.

4 Secure Coding Best Practices

OWASP provides a secure coding practices checklist that includes 14 areas to consider in your software development life cycle. Of those secure coding practices, we’re going to focus on the top eight secure programming best practices to help you protect against vulnerabilities.

Security by Design

Security needs to be a priority as you develop code, not an afterthought. Organizations may have competing priorities where software engineering and coding are concerned. Following software security best practices can conflict with optimizing for development speed. However, a “security by design” approach that puts security first tends to pay off in the long run, reducing the future cost of technical debt and risk mitigation. An analysis of your source code should be conducted throughout your software development life cycle (SDLC), and security automation should be implemented.

Password Management

Passwords are a weak point in many software systems, which is why multi-factor authentication has become so widespread. Nevertheless, passwords are the most common security credential, and following secure coding practices limits risk. You should require all passwords to be of adequate length and complexity to withstand any typical or common attacks. OWASP suggests several coding best practices for passwords, including:

• Storing only salted cryptographic hashes of passwords and never storing plain-text passwords
• Enforcing password length and complexity requirements
• Disable password entry after multiple incorrect login attempts

Implementing logical access controls like password policies can do wonders for strengthening your organization’s security posture.

Access Control

Take a “default deny” approach to sensitive data. Limit privileges and restrict access to secure data to only users who need it. Deny access to any user that cannot demonstrate authorization. Ensure that requests for sensitive information are checked to verify that the user is authorized to access it. 

Error Handling and Logging

Software errors are often indicative of bugs, many of which cause vulnerabilities. Error handling and logging are two of the most useful techniques for minimizing their impact. Error handling attempts to catch errors in the code before they result in a catastrophic failure. Logging documents errors so that developers can diagnose and mitigate their cause. 

Most Common Security Vulnerabilities

Buffer Overflow

Buffer overflow occurs when software developers under allocate the memory reserves required for a program to run. A common software security vulnerability, this results in sensitive data “spilling over” memory stacks where they’re exposed to hungry cyber attackers.

A function’s return address is one of the many sensitive stack variables that are exposed during these overflow events. When accessed and rewritten, a hacker can assume control of all associated programs.

Assembly, C and C++ are the most vulnerable program languages to buffer overflow attacks

Open Source Software

Open source software may be a tantalizing option for businesses on a tight budget, but if you peel away it’s free price tag, you’ll discover many security loopholes.

The community focused nature of open source software means that all aspects of its coding are frequently publicized. This includes details of all security vulnerabilities and software vulnerabilities. Hackers are often silent members of these communities and use this information to cultivate their cyber-attacks.

Because the coding of open source software is readily accessible to the public, secure coding practices are not always enforced. With no defenses and all security vulnerabilities publicized, open source software is a popular choice within the hacker community.

Cross-Site Scripting

Cross-site scripting is the most common security vulnerability that even the most trusted website can fall victim to. XSS occurs when hackers inject a malicious script into the input fields of web applications.

Because these scripts are rendered in the browser, there’s little to no way of identifying them as a foreign injection. With unimpeded access to end users browsers, hackers can access all the sensitive information stored in the browser, and even manipulate the HTML of pages to access specific information from end users.

Code Injection

Secure coding negligence isn’t only an issue with Assembly, C and C++ coded software. All programming languages are vulnerable to cyber-attacks if best security coding practices are not followed. This includes popular options such as Python, Java, SQL, Ruby, Perl and PHP, or all web application languages.

These programming languages often fall victim to code injection attacks. In a code injection attack, hackers submit code into a web application to manipulate its functions. SQL injection is a common form of code injection that hackers use to access a website’s database.

Sensitive user information such as email address, contact details and even credit card details can be retrieved via a successful SQL injection.

Leaked Access Keys

All programming languages require programmatic keys to access and manage cloud resources. Secret keys control access to IAM roles that grant permissions to be executed against cloud resources. Secrets should always be encrypted, but a common mistake made is embedding access keys and secrets into local parameter stores or war files. It’s easy for a developer to inadvertently commit these secrets to a code repository, especially if troubleshooting the code. If your chosen repo is public, any published secrets can be used by anyone in the world.

Hardcoded Application Secrets

Each application has an embedded configuration dataset that details the security parameters the application uses against associated apps. This might include database login credentials, database parameters, middleware configuration variables, or access details for front/back end web application services. The parameters and secrets should be encrypted and never written in plain text, but some applications only use file system permissions to protect unauthorized users from reading the configuration.

Advantages of Secure Coding

• Enhanced Security: The primary advantage is a significant reduction in vulnerabilities, making applications more resistant to attacks.
• Improved Reputation: Demonstrates a commitment to data protection and customer trust.
• Cost Reduction: Prevents costly data breaches, legal fees, and reputational damage.
• Compliance Adherence: Helps organizations meet industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
• Competitive Advantage: Positions the organization as a leader in security and reliability.
• Increased Efficiency: Fewer security incidents lead to less downtime and improved productivity.
• Improved code quality: Secure coding often leads to better structured, more maintainable code.
• Enhanced problem-solving skills: Understanding potential vulnerabilities forces developers to think critically about code logic and security implications.
• Increased job opportunities: Secure coding skills are highly valued in the job market, opening doors to specialized roles.
• Proactive risk mitigation: Identifies and addresses vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
• Cost-effective: Prevents costly security incidents and remediation efforts.
• Improved software reliability: Secure code often has fewer bugs and errors.
• Faster time-to-market: Streamlines the development process by incorporating security early on.
• Legal protection: Reduces the risk of legal repercussions due to data breaches.

Disadvantages of Secure Coding

• Increased Development Time: Implementing secure coding practices can initially slow down development processes.
• Higher Costs: Requires additional resources for security training, tools, and personnel.
• Complexity: Secure coding often involves complex techniques and requires specialized knowledge.
• Potential for Overkill: Excessive security measures can sometimes hinder user experience or performance.
• False Sense of Security: Relying solely on secure coding without other security measures can create vulnerabilities.

Challenges of Secure Coding

Implementing secure coding practices is not without its challenges. Here are some common hurdles:

Developer-Related Challenges

• Lack of security expertise: Many developers have strong programming skills but lack in-depth security knowledge.
• Time constraints: Development deadlines often prioritize features over security, leading to shortcuts.
• Complexity of secure coding: Implementing secure coding practices can be complex and time-consuming.
• Resistance to change: Developers may be resistant to adopting new coding practices or tools.

Organizational Challenges

• Insufficient security budget: Limited resources for security tools, training, and personnel.
• Lack of security awareness: A general lack of understanding of security risks within the organization.
• Conflicting priorities: Security often takes a back seat to other business goals.
• Integration with development processes: Incorporating security into the development lifecycle can be challenging.

Technological Challenges

• Keeping up with threats: The evolving threat landscape requires constant vigilance and updates.
• Complex software systems: Modern applications are often highly complex, making it difficult to identify and address vulnerabilities.
• Third-party dependencies: Relying on external components can introduce security risks.
• Tool limitations: Security tools may not always be effective or comprehensive.

Application of Secure Coding

Secure coding is applied throughout the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), from inception to maintenance. Here are some key areas where it is crucial:

1. Requirements Gathering and Design

• Identifying security requirements: Defining the security goals and constraints for the application.
• Threat modeling: Analyzing potential threats and vulnerabilities to the application.
• Architecture design: Incorporating security principles into the overall system architecture.

2. Coding and Development

• Input validation and sanitization: Ensuring that user input is safe and cannot be manipulated.
• Output encoding: Protecting against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks by properly encoding output.
• Authentication and authorization: Implementing robust mechanisms to verify user identity and permissions.
• Secure session management: Protecting user sessions from hijacking.
• Error and exception handling: Preventing information leakage and denial-of-service attacks.
• Cryptography: Using encryption to protect sensitive data.

3. Testing and Quality Assurance

• Security testing: Conducting vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and code reviews.
• Static code analysis: Identifying potential vulnerabilities through code inspection.
• Dynamic code analysis: Testing the application in runtime to detect vulnerabilities.

4. Deployment and Operations

• Secure configuration: Ensuring that the application and its environment are configured securely.
• Monitoring and logging: Continuously monitoring for security incidents and threats.
• Incident response: Having a plan in place to respond to security breaches effectively.

Specific Examples of Secure Coding Applications

• Web applications: Preventing SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and other common web vulnerabilities.
• Mobile applications: Protecting user data, preventing data leaks, and securing communication.
• Cloud applications: Ensuring data privacy, security, and compliance with cloud service provider security measures.
• IoT devices: Securing device firmware, communication protocols, and data transmission.

Trends of Secure Coding

Secure coding is a rapidly evolving field, driven by the escalating complexity of software systems and the persistent threat landscape. Here’s a deeper dive into the key trends:

DevSecOps: A Cultural Shift

• Shift-left approach: Incorporating security into the earliest stages of development.
• Automation: Utilizing tools to automate security testing and vulnerability scanning.
• Collaboration: Fostering a collaborative culture between development, operations, and security teams.

Cloud-Native Security

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) security: Safeguarding configuration files to prevent misconfigurations.
• Serverless security: Protecting functions and data in serverless architectures.
• Cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs): Comprehensive security solutions for cloud environments.

AI and Machine Learning

• Threat detection and response: Using AI algorithms to identify and respond to emerging threats.
• Security testing automation: Automating vulnerability scanning and penetration testing with AI.
• Code analysis: Leveraging AI for advanced code analysis and vulnerability identification.

Supply Chain Security

• Software Bill of Materials (SBOM): Creating a detailed inventory of software components.
• Vulnerability scanning of dependencies: Identifying vulnerabilities in third-party libraries.
• Secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC): Integrating security into the entire software supply chain.

Privacy by Design

• Data minimization: Collecting only necessary data.
• Privacy impact assessments: Evaluating the privacy implications of new systems.
• Data anonymization and pseudonymization: Protecting sensitive data.

Zero Trust Architecture

• Continuous verification: Constantly validating user and device identities.
• Least privilege access: Granting minimal necessary permissions.
• Micro-segmentation: Isolating network resources to limit the impact of breaches.

Additional Trends

• Secure coding certifications: Increasing demand for certified secure coding professionals.
• Open-source security: Addressing vulnerabilities in open-source software.
• IoT security: Protecting connected devices from attacks.
• Blockchain security: Ensuring the security of blockchain-based applications.

Conclusion

Secure coding is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. In an era characterized by escalating cyber threats, the vulnerabilities inherent in poorly written code pose significant risks to individuals, organizations, and societies as a whole.While secure coding requires a cultural shift and ongoing investment, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. It’s essential to foster a security-conscious mindset among developers, provide comprehensive training, and implement robust code review and testing processes.

Ultimately, secure coding is a shared responsibility. By working together, developers, security professionals, and organizations can create a safer digital landscape for everyone.

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