8 Secure Software Tips For Developing Reliable Production-Ready Applications
Developing secure software is challenging but it’s vital to safeguard data and operations. New Relic hosted a Twitter Space recently with Harry Kimpel of Snyk, and Frank Dornberger of movingimage to discuss the importance of software engineers developing a security-minded mindset which will enable them to develop reliable production-ready apps.
In the course of this discussion, we identified eight tips to help developers develop a security mindset and create more secure software. The following tips are based on that conversation as well as other research into how to make sure that your company’s software is as secure as it can be.
Make sure that your employees are aware of how to find and fix security gaps in their code. Make sure they are trained that covers safe coding practices and how to defend against common threats like phishing. Organize regular, cross-functional meetings to introduce your team to new threats and vulnerabilities. This will give your developers the opportunity to work with other teams who are facing similar issues.
Set up a knowledge repository and a written record of your company’s security policies. This allows your employees to refer back to it when writing code, and ensure that everyone understands the rules.
Take into consideration the security implications of third-party libraries and components that you utilize in your applications. If they’re not maintained regularly, cybercriminals may be susceptible to exploiting security vulnerabilities. Make use of a tool that scans for dependencies such as libraries and other dependencies in your source code to help detect any vulnerabilities.
