Software is the backbone of modern companies. But while functionality and performance are often at the forefront, security is often only considered after the fact. This can be expensive: Fixing security vulnerabilities during development costs up to 30 times less than corrections during productive operation.
What is security by design?
Security by Design integrates security aspects into software development right from the start of the project. Central principles are proactive risk management, multi-layered security mechanisms (defense-in-depth), minimal authorizations (least privilege) and secure standard configurations (security by default).
Why security by design is important
The latest IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report shows: The average cost of a data breach is 4.88 million US dollars – the highest value since the survey began. Security by design saves costs through early error detection, strengthens customer confidence, simplifies compliance requirements such as GDPR or ISO 27001 and becomes a decisive competitive advantage.
The most important phases in the development process
Successful integration requires a structured approach:
Security objectives are defined and risks assessed in the requirements analysis. Threat modeling identifies potential attack vectors during architecture and design. Secure coding standards are adhered to during implementation and automated security tests are integrated into the CI/CD pipeline. Testing and quality assurance include penetration testing and fuzz testing. Secure default settings and real-time monitoring ensure protection during operation. Regular security updates and training courses keep the software secure in the long term.
Successful integration requires a structured approach:
Mastering challenges
A lack of security know-how can be bridged by further training and external specialists. Time and cost pressures are countered by integration into existing processes and automated tools. Modern tools such as SonarQube, OWASP ZAP or Snyk provide effective support for implementation.
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