Secure Coding Standards and Guidelines

tag: [Engineer/Developer, Security Specialist]

Using secure coding standards and guidelines increases the likelihood of you being resilient to security threats. Having these type of standards can help developers avoid common vulnerabilities, and help ensure that security is considered at every stage of development.

Secure Coding Standards

  1. Input Validation

    • Validate all inputs to ensure they conform to expected formats and ranges.
    • Use whitelisting (allowing only known good inputs) rather than blacklisting.

  2. Output Encoding

    • Encode output data.
    • Use libraries and frameworks that provide built-in encoding functions.

  3. Authentication and Authorization

    • Implement strong authentication mechanisms to verify user identities.
    • Ensure proper authorization checks are in place to control access to resources based on user roles.

  4. Error Handling

    • Handle errors gracefully without revealing sensitive information.
    • Log errors securely and provide generic error messages to users.

Guidelines for Secure Coding

  1. Use Secure Libraries and Frameworks

    • Use libraries and frameworks that have been vetted for security and are regularly updated.
    • Avoid using deprecated or unmaintained libraries.

  2. Follow Principle of Least Privilege

    • Grant the minimum level of access necessary for code to function.
    • Avoid running code high privileges.

  3. Secure Data Storage

    • Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit.
    • Use secure storage mechanisms for credentials and secrets.

  4. Regular Code Reviews

    • Conduct regular code reviews to identify and fix security vulnerabilities.
    • Use automated tools to complement manual code reviews.

  5. Continuous Security Training

    • Provide ongoing security training for developers to keep them informed about the latest threats and best practices.
    • Encourage participation in security communities and events.