Secure Coding Guidelines, Third-Party Software, and Databases

Keeping architectures secure is not simply about ensuring malicious actors cannot enter your system with viruses or false identities. The applications that underpin the everyday use of information technologies can also be a source of vulnerabilities. Malicious code can be placed in seemingly useful but benign software you might purchase to improve your workflow. Programming errors might create tiny logical errors that can cascade into large systematic issues, and code that has not been updated for a few years can create vulnerabilities that the original developers did not anticipate.

To ensure applications are safe, security must be designed into the software development process at the beginning of any software project. Both developers and suppliers must follow security standards, and users must understand the risks and know how to test for and mitigate them.

For many organizations, one of the central applications...