Secure Software Development Lifecycle: A Practical Security Checklist
Integrate threat modeling, code review, dependency checks, secret scanning, testing, and release controls into software development.
Design securely
Identify sensitive data, trust boundaries, abuse cases, and security requirements before implementation. Review authentication, authorization, logging, retention, and failure behavior.
Protect development systems
Limit repository access, require MFA, protect release branches, and keep production credentials out of source code. Revoke exposed secrets and separate development, test, and production.
Review code and dependencies
Use peer review for sensitive changes and automated checks for known vulnerable dependencies and exposed secrets. Tools can miss logic flaws and produce false positives, so findings require triage.
Test security properties
Test access control, input handling, sessions, error paths, and abuse cases in isolated environments with synthetic data. Verify both allowed and denied behavior.
Release and improve
Protect build artifacts, restrict release permissions, monitor security events, and maintain patch and incident response processes. Track recurring defects and feed lessons into design.