No matter how experienced a developer you are, by now, you should realize the importance of adhering to the best security practices when developing a new product. However, this is easier said than done. During times like these, it can be easy for us to get carried away or too excited about the forthcoming launch of our new product, and some security elements may slip under the crack unnoticed.
The last thing that you want is for an issue to become highlighted once it’s arisen or when it’s too late to do something about it, so it’s worth thinking about the security of your new software product way in advance of its launch. Much like small businesses, less well-known start-up software products are more susceptible to cyber-attacks than more established products, as start-up products often lack the experience and security expertise, making them easy prey for cybercriminals.
Nevertheless, security is still a vital development factor, no matter how small in scale. Incorporating some minor security practices and features into your product will help make it more secure and adhere to the specific guidelines and regulations that apply to its development. Here are some of our suggestions for improving the security of your new software product and ensuring that your software security strategy has a solid framework.
Use A DevSecOps Program
Build your software security strategy off to a good start by investing in a DevSecOps program when you and your team start development. Defined DevSecOps stands for development, security, and operations. Its goal is to hold everyone accountable for the safety of your new software product from the moment that development begins.
Its objective is to implement security decisions as quickly as you and your team make operations or development decisions. So, instead of treating security as an afterthought, it remains a constant presence throughout the entire development process to maintain a higher-quality level of security proficiency.
DevSecOps programs aim to increase security proficiency by testing for inaccuracies, vulnerabilities, or potential security exploits using DevSecOps tools to put a company-wide focus on security services throughout the build instead of being an afterthought. For more insight into a DevSecOps program, consider contacting companies like ForAllSecure.
Look at their website for a complete list of their innovative application security solutions and products, or consider following their blog to keep up to date on topics related to the DevSecOps program and many more. Alternatively, contact a team member for more information about how their services could help the security of your new software product today.
Ensure To Regularly Patch Your Software And Systems
Another way that you and your team can also increase the security measures surrounding your new software product is by ensuring to patch your software and systems regularly. One of the most common ways cybercriminals can assess, steal, or damage your data is by exploiting vulnerabilities housed within old or out-of-date software.
So that your new software can combat any cyber-attacks, ensure that all your systems and software have up-to-date patches and strive to download them across all company-wide devices as soon as new updates become available. Doing so is one of the most effective ways to practice better security measures and gives you and your team peace of mind if any issues were to arise.
Aside from being beneficial against cybercriminals, performing regular patch updates to your software and systems can provide you and your team with a higher level of customer satisfaction, improved efficiency, and even reduced costs since outdated systems can cost more to maintain as they are more likely to have more issues than their updated, newer counterparts.
Limit Access Through App-Level Security
In the business world, it is well-known that most in-house security breaches happen not because of outside influence but due to employee negligence or insiders with malicious intent. One of the ways that you and your team can prevent this from happening within your business is by limiting employee access through app-level security.
No one outside of your department should have access to the applications your team use unless they need to. Your business can do this using app-level security which enables you to allocate access to applications based on the role of the intended user. For instance, your HR department only requires access to HR-related applications, whereas your IT department will need access to all software products.
So, when employees try to access an application, a menu will appear, which displays different options to users depending on the amount of access they have been granted. Using app-level security will make it more straightforward for your business to monitor everything that happens within your system. It will make it easier to highlight problems and identify why they’ve occurred.
Implement Basic Security Tools Like Firewalls
One of the easiest ways cybercriminals can steal sensitive business information is by accessing your private network. Once your network has been breached, it’ll be simple for cybercriminals to steal or cause damage to data and your new software product. One way to prevent them from doing so is by installing high-quality firewalls.
Firewalls act as a secondary piece of security between your private network and the internet. Using security tools such as firewalls enable you to allocate access to your network as you see fit, meaning that anything that doesn’t meet your security criteria will be prevented access, so your software product is further protected against unknown threats.
Use Data Encryption To Protect Sensitive Files
Ensuring that all messages, files, or shared folders are encrypted is another way your business can bolster the security measures surrounding your new software project. Defined data encryption is the process of turning sensitive files or private information into code so that it is hidden or unreadable to unauthorized users. Businesses will need to use an encryption algorithm to encode plain text into unreadable data or ciphertext.
To unscramble the encrypted text back into plain English, a key is required, so no matter if the files are stolen, damaged, or accessed by an authorized party, it’ll be useless information without the key. Therefore, data encryption is one of the best tools for protecting sensitive business data and classified information and enhancing the security between client apps and servers.
