Blog | G5 Cyber Security

Secure Solution Development Guide

G5 Cyber Security

TL;DR

This guide outlines key steps for building secure solutions from the start. It covers planning, coding practices, testing, and deployment to minimise vulnerabilities.

1. Planning & Threat Modelling

  1. Define Security Requirements: What data are you protecting? What regulations apply (e.g., GDPR)? Document these clearly.
  2. Threat Modelling: Identify potential attackers and how they might try to compromise your system. Use frameworks like STRIDE:
    • Spoofing
    • Tampering
    • Repudiation
    • Information Disclosure
    • Denial of Service
    • Elevation of Privilege
  3. Data Flow Diagrams: Map how data moves through your system. This helps pinpoint sensitive areas.
  4. Risk Assessment: Evaluate the likelihood and impact of each threat. Prioritise mitigation efforts based on risk level.

2. Secure Coding Practices

  1. Input Validation: Always validate user input before using it. This prevents injection attacks (SQL, XSS, etc.). Example (Python): 
    def process_input(user_data):
    if not user_data.isalnum():
        return "Invalid Input!"
    else:
        # Process the validated input
        return "Input processed successfully"
  2. Output Encoding: Encode data before displaying it to users, especially if it contains user-supplied content. This prevents XSS.
  3. Authentication & Authorisation: Use strong authentication methods (multi-factor where possible). Implement role-based access control (RBAC).
  4. Session Management: Securely manage sessions. Use secure cookies (HttpOnly, Secure flags) and appropriate session timeouts.
  5. Cryptography: Use well-established cryptographic libraries. Avoid implementing your own crypto algorithms. Example (generating a random salt): 
    import secrets
salt = secrets.token_hex(16)
  6. Error Handling: Handle errors gracefully and avoid revealing sensitive information in error messages.
  7. Code Reviews: Have your code reviewed by peers to identify potential vulnerabilities.

3. Testing

  1. Static Analysis Security Testing (SAST): Use tools to scan your source code for vulnerabilities without running the application.
  2. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Test your running application for vulnerabilities by simulating attacks.
  3. Penetration Testing: Hire ethical hackers to attempt to compromise your system. This provides a real-world assessment of security.
  4. Fuzzing: Provide invalid, unexpected, or random data as input to identify crashes and potential vulnerabilities.
  5. Unit Tests: Write unit tests that specifically target security concerns (e.g., input validation).

4. Deployment & Monitoring

  1. Secure Configuration: Follow secure configuration guidelines for your servers, databases, and other infrastructure components.
  2. Regular Updates: Keep all software up to date with the latest security patches.
  3. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Use a WAF to protect against common web attacks.
  4. Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS): Monitor your network for malicious activity.
  5. Logging & Auditing: Log all security-relevant events and regularly review logs. Ensure adequate audit trails are in place.
  6. Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly scan your deployed systems for vulnerabilities.

5. Cyber Security Considerations

Remember that cyber security is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.

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