It’s a challenge to create secure software, however it’s crucial to safeguard business operations and data. 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 software.
In the course of this discussion, we came up with eight suggestions to help developers develop a security mindset to develop more secure applications. These tips are based on that discussion and other studies on how to make sure that your company’s software is as secure as you can.
Make sure that your employees know how to recognize and fix security holes in their code. Through training, help them learn safe methods of coding and how to protect themselves from common attacks, such as phishing. Plan regular, cross-functional sessions to introduce your team to new threats and vulnerabilities. This will allow your developers the chance to work with other teams facing the same problems.
Set up a knowledge base and documentation of the security policies applicable to software within your company. This will provide your employees with an overview when writing code and will ensure that everyone is aware of the rules.
Take into consideration the security implications of third-party libraries and components that you utilize in your applications. If they’re not updated regularly, there is a high risk of them having security weaknesses that could be exploited by cybercriminals. Use a tool to check for dependencies and libraries in your source code in order to find any problems.
