8 Ways to Ensure Security and Data Protection in Enterprise Software Development
Developing enterprise software is challenging work, but doing that while dealing with security attacks is much more complex. To prevent that, you should have suitable security measures to protect your valuable data. Here are a few ideas for beefing up your current data protection measures.
1. Patch your software and systems.
If your enterprise software vendor is active, then you should expect them to roll out patches every once in a while for said software. Instead of ignoring these patch updates, it’s your job to ensure that you get these patches as soon as they’re there.
Since enterprise software serves as the backbone of many organizations, these systems can become vulnerable to potential breaches if not properly maintained.
By regularly patching your software and systems, you address vulnerabilities that may have been identified by developers or discovered through ongoing security monitoring. Patching involves applying updates or fixes provided by the software vendor to address these vulnerabilities.
There are many reasons why vendors would roll out these patches. It could improve functionality, but they also send patches to protect against security flaws others might exploit. Their patches address these security concerns they’ve found, so if you don’t get them as soon as they’re there, that could leave your software vulnerable.
Moreover, they might send out patches to continue their compliance with industry regulations and standards related to data protection.
If you want to ensure that your software works as the vendor intended and avoid lapses in security, then being up-to-date on patches should be part of your due diligence.
2. Record your security policy
Knowing that you must protect your company data is basic information, but how you defend it isn’t straightforward.
Sure, you know the basics of what to avoid, but it helps to set security protocols in stone. You do just that when you record your security policy. It serves as a set of guidelines and protocols that outline the measures you and your team should take to safeguard the software and its associated systems from potential threats.
In enterprise software development, where businesses rely heavily on technology to store and process valuable information, having a robust security policy is a requirement, not an extra unique addition.
This policy should encompass aspects such as:
- access control
- authentication mechanisms
- encryption standards
- regular patching of software and systems
- incident response procedures
- employee training on security best practices
Recording the security policy provides a documented reference for all stakeholders to point to at all times. An approach can avoid confusion in a crisis regarding your team members’ roles and responsibilities.
Ultimately, it helps ensure accountability and minimize risks associated with enterprise software development. Organizations can better protect their valuable assets while maintaining customer trust in an increasingly digital landscape by adhering to established protocols and continuously updating them as new threats emerge or technologies evolve.
3. Use a secure software development framework
When undertaking an enterprise software development project, it likely costs you a lot of time, money, and resources. However, corporate espionage and other malicious entities or attacks might be on the lookout for how they can exploit your system to get info on you.
Given these dangers, ensuring a secure software development framework or SSDF from the get-go is a necessary measure.
Since SSDF is already standardized, there’s no excuse not to implement it yourself. It’s also great to apply this since it works for any
software development life cycle or SDLC. Plus, the approach works no matter what kind of company you are.
If you need more structure in your daily security check-ups, the SSDF can help iron those out.
4. Embed security within your SDLC
When you have an SSDF, it already helps imbue your SDLC with built-in levels of security just from the way you run things as you develop your software. After all, it involves ensuring that it’s not a separate matter from your SDLC. Instead, it makes it a crucial part that you shouldn’t skip.
Reviewing your usual SDLC and how you used to go about things might take some time. However, if you ensure that security is sewn into the thread of your usual SDLC, it would be much easier to keep things secure.
5. Implement secure coding practices
There are specific secure coding standards that anyone involved in software development should know from the start. It’s imperative to be aware of them (and implement them), given that projects like the Open Web Application Security Project or OWASP have helped establish these secure coding practices applicable to all.
Some of the most basic examples of these would be the following:
- Better password management
- Swift software error logging and handling
- Data encryption
- Repeated software configuration
- Implementing access control
By implementing industry-standard foundational coding practices, you can protect yourself from the most common security issues with your software development.
6. Encrypt your files and communication
As mentioned earlier, part of creating a secure coding practice interwoven into your SDLC would involve data encryption.
Encrypting files and communication is crucial in safeguarding valuable information from unauthorized access and potential breaches.
Enterprise software development involves handling vast amounts of data, from customer details to proprietary business information. Encrypting data files adds an extra layer of protection by converting the pointer into an unreadable format, making it extremely difficult for hackers or unauthorized individuals to decipher.
Similarly, encrypting communication channels ensures that data transmitted between different systems or parties remains secure. Organizations can prevent eavesdropping or tampering with sensitive information during transmission by employing encryption protocols, such as SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security).
Encrypting files and communication is vital in mitigating risks associated with data breaches, intellectual property theft, or financial losses. It helps enterprises comply with regulatory requirements and enhances their reputation as trustworthy custodians of valuable data.
Even if there is a breach in your systems, at the very least, the data has added encryption so that critical data and information aren’t accessible for them to interpret.
7. Perform penetration testing
Putting up security measures is one thing, but it’s a good idea to simulate a potential attack to see how your security stands up to it. You can do that through software penetration testing or pen testing.
Pen testing helps you identify where potential risks are in your security. If your security has some holes one can exploit, pen testing should help you identify them.
8. Develop an incident response plan
Your software support team should have an incident response plan, even if you have robust security measures.
Security protocols are one thing, but within those protocols should be your plan in case a security issue arises. Prevention is always better, but it helps your team keep calm to know that there are also plans and procedures in place during a security crisis. So, don’t forget to develop a thorough incident response plan.
Conclusion
With the proper security measures and data protection plan, your enterprise software development should go off without a hitch. Just ensure that you have these security practices in this article included in your current security practices to ensure there is nothing for you or your stakeholders to worry about.
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