1.8 Summary
It is a fact of life that software faults, defects, and other weaknesses affect the ability of software to function securely. These vulnerabilities can be exploited to violate software's security properties and force the software into an insecure, exploitable state. Dealing with this possibility is a particularly daunting challenge given the ubiquitous connectivity and explosive growth and complexity of software-based systems.
Adopting a security-enhanced software development process that includes secure development practices will reduce the number of exploitable faults and weaknesses in the deployed software. Correcting potential vulnerabilities as early as possible in the SDLC, mainly through the adoption of security-enhanced processes and practices, is far more cost-effective than attempting to diagnose and correct such problems after the system goes into production. It just makes good sense.
Thus, the goals of using secure software practices are as follows:
- Exploitable faults and other weaknesses are eliminated to the greatest extent possible by well-intentioned engineers.
- The likelihood is greatly reduced or eliminated that malicious engineers can intentionally implant exploitable faults and weaknesses, malicious logic, or backdoors into the software.
- The software is attack resistant, attack tolerant, and attack resilient to the extent possible and practical in support of fulfilling the organization's mission.
To ensure that software and systems meet their security requirements throughout the development life cycle, review, select, and tailor guidance from this book, the BSI Web site, and the sources cited throughout this book as part of normal project management activities.