Software Security Basics

Why Security Matters

The average cost of a data breach is over $4 million. Beyond financial loss, breaches damage customer trust, create legal liability, and can destroy businesses. Security isn't optional—it's essential.

Key Security Concepts

Authentication

Verifying that users are who they claim to be.

• Passwords: The basics, but increasingly insufficient alone
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Something you know + something you have
• Single Sign-On (SSO): One login for multiple applications
• Biometrics: Fingerprints, face recognition

Authorization

Controlling what authenticated users can access.

• Role-Based Access Control: Permissions based on job roles
• Principle of Least Privilege: Only the access needed to do the job
• Data-Level Security: Users see only their data

Encryption

Scrambling data so only authorized parties can read it.

• At Rest: Data stored on disk is encrypted
• In Transit: Data moving over networks is encrypted (HTTPS)
• End-to-End: Only sender and recipient can decrypt

Audit Logging

Recording who did what, when.

• Login attempts (successful and failed)
• Data access and changes
• Administrative actions
• Security events

Common Threats

Injection Attacks

Attackers insert malicious code through input fields. Prevented through input validation and parameterized queries.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Malicious scripts injected into web pages. Prevented through output encoding and content security policies.

Broken Authentication

Weak passwords, session management flaws. Prevented through MFA, secure session handling.

Sensitive Data Exposure

Unprotected sensitive data. Prevented through encryption, access controls.

Social Engineering

Manipulating people to gain access. Prevented through training and security awareness.

Compliance Frameworks

HIPAA

Healthcare data protection requirements. Required for health information systems.

SOC 2

Service organization controls. Common for SaaS and cloud services.

PCI DSS

Payment card data protection. Required for payment processing.

GDPR

European data protection regulation. Applies to EU citizen data.

Security Questions for Vendors

1. Do you have SOC 2 certification or similar?
2. How is data encrypted at rest and in transit?
3. What authentication options do you support?
4. How do you handle security vulnerabilities?
5. Where is data stored? Who has access?
6. What happens to data if we end the relationship?
7. Do you have cyber liability insurance?

Security Best Practices

For Your Organization

• Require strong passwords and MFA
• Keep software updated
• Train employees on security awareness
• Regular security assessments
• Incident response plan
• Regular data backups

For Software Development

• Security testing throughout development
• Code reviews for security vulnerabilities
• Dependency scanning for known vulnerabilities
• Penetration testing before launch
• Security monitoring in production