Practical tips for adopting strong security practices

  1. Prioritise the CIA Triad

    Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability are foundational principles in security. Ensure that sensitive data is only accessible to authorised users, protect data accuracy, and guarantee availability of services to legitimate users. For example, encrypt sensitive data to maintain confidentiality and validate input to protect data integrity.

  2. Implement Input Validation

    Input validation is crucial in preventing common attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Always validate and sanitise data from external sources to prevent malicious data from exploiting vulnerabilities. Avoid the assumption that user input will be benign.

  3. Use Secure APIs and Avoid API Abuse

    When integrating APIs, be aware of the security promises they make. Avoid insecure APIs, and limit API permissions to what is strictly necessary. Poorly managed APIs can become entry points for attackers.

  4. Manage State and Time Dependence Carefully

    In event-driven or asynchronous systems, sequence of actions can vary, leading to vulnerabilities. Test systems under different timing conditions to anticipate potential issues and implement state management where needed.

  5. Keep Error Messages Generic

    Revealing too much information in error messages can provide attackers with insights into system vulnerabilities. Provide only necessary error information to users and log detailed error information securely for debugging purposes.

  6. Regularly Review Code Quality

    Poor code quality can introduce security vulnerabilities. Avoid “code smells” by keeping code readable, consistent, and maintainable. Conduct regular code reviews and use static analysis tools to detect potential weaknesses.

  7. Encapsulate Sensitive Data

    Implement strict access controls around sensitive data and areas of the system. For example, restrict access to certain directories in a web application to prevent unauthorised access.

  8. Familiarise Yourself with Common Vulnerabilities

    Stay updated on the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and other resources that list frequent vulnerabilities. Knowing the top vulnerabilities can help you proactively address these issues in your code.

  9. Conduct Security Testing

    Regularly test your application with security in mind. Use automated tools for static and dynamic analysis and conduct penetration testing to identify potential vulnerabilities.

  10. Integrate Security into Agile Workflows

    Make security an ongoing part of your development process by addressing security in each sprint. This continuous focus helps you identify and resolve security issues as you build.