Secure Coding and Testing Policy (ENG-POL-005)

1. Objective

The objective of this policy is to establish comprehensive secure coding standards and testing requirements for all software development activities at [Company Name]. This policy ensures that security controls are integrated into coding practices and testing processes to prevent vulnerabilities, protect electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), and maintain compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and SOC 2 requirements. By implementing standardized secure coding practices and rigorous security testing, [Company Name] minimizes security risks and ensures applications are resilient against common attack vectors.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all [Company Name] workforce members involved in software development and testing activities, including developers, architects, testers, security engineers, and quality assurance team members. It encompasses all software development projects including new applications, system modifications, third-party integrations, mobile applications, web applications, APIs, and infrastructure-as-code. This policy covers secure coding practices for all programming languages and frameworks used by [Company Name], as well as all security testing methodologies including static analysis, dynamic testing, and penetration testing across all development environments.

3. Policy

[Company Name] shall implement comprehensive secure coding standards and rigorous security testing processes to ensure that all applications and systems are developed with appropriate security safeguards and thoroughly validated against security vulnerabilities.

3.1 Secure Coding Standards

All software development shall adhere to established secure coding practices to prevent common vulnerabilities and security weaknesses.

3.1.1 General Secure Coding Principles
  • Input Validation and Sanitization:
    • All user inputs shall be validated, sanitized, and encoded before processing
    • Input validation shall be performed on both client-side and server-side
    • Parameterized queries or prepared statements shall be used for all database interactions
    • File upload functionality shall include content type validation and malware scanning
    • Data length limits and format validation shall be enforced for all input fields
  • Authentication and Session Management:
    • Strong authentication mechanisms shall be implemented including multi-factor authentication
    • Session tokens shall be cryptographically secure and include appropriate expiration timeouts
    • Password storage shall use approved cryptographic hash functions with salt
    • Account lockout mechanisms shall prevent brute force attacks
    • Session management shall include secure token generation, validation, and termination
  • Authorization and Access Control:
    • Role-based access control (RBAC) shall be implemented for all application functions
    • Principle of least privilege shall be enforced for all user and system accounts
    • Authorization checks shall be performed for every request and transaction
    • Direct object references shall be validated to prevent unauthorized access
    • Administrative functions shall require elevated authentication and approval
  • Error Handling and Logging:
    • Error messages shall not reveal sensitive information or system details
    • Comprehensive logging shall capture security-relevant events for audit purposes
    • Log data shall be protected against unauthorized access and tampering
    • Failed authentication attempts and suspicious activities shall be logged and monitored
    • Debug information and stack traces shall not be exposed in production environments
3.1.2 Language-Specific Secure Coding Requirements
  • Web Application Development:
    • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) prevention through output encoding and Content Security Policy (CSP)
    • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection using tokens and SameSite cookie attributes
    • SQL injection prevention through parameterized queries and input validation
    • Secure HTTP headers implementation (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options)
    • HTTPS enforcement for all communications with proper certificate validation
  • Mobile Application Development:
    • Platform-specific security features utilization (iOS Keychain, Android Keystore)
    • Certificate pinning for network communications
    • Local data encryption using platform encryption APIs
    • Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) implementation
    • Anti-tampering and reverse engineering protection
  • API Development:
    • OAuth 2.0 or equivalent authentication frameworks for API access
    • Rate limiting and throttling to prevent abuse
    • API versioning and deprecation procedures with security considerations
    • Input validation and output filtering for all API endpoints
    • Comprehensive API documentation including security requirements

3.2 Code Review and Static Analysis

All code shall undergo thorough review processes to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities before deployment.

3.2.1 Manual Code Review Requirements
  • Peer Review Process:
    • All code changes shall be reviewed and formally approved by at least one qualified peer before being merged into the main branch. This approval shall be documented within the version control system (e.g., via a pull request approval).
    • Security-focused code reviews shall be conducted by team members trained in secure coding
    • Code reviews shall use standardized checklists covering common security vulnerabilities
    • Review comments and resolutions shall be documented and tracked
    • Critical or high-risk code changes shall require review by senior developers or security team
    • Code review tools powered by AI or static analysis shall be used to assist in identifying potential security issues
  • Security Review Criteria:
    • Authentication and authorization implementation
    • Input validation and output encoding
    • Error handling and information disclosure
    • Cryptographic implementation and key management
    • Third-party library usage and dependency management
    • Configuration management and secrets handling
3.2.2 Automated Static Analysis
  • Static Analysis Tools:
    • Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools shall be integrated into the development pipeline
    • Code analysis shall be performed automatically on all code commits
    • Build processes shall fail if critical or high-severity vulnerabilities are detected
    • False positive management processes shall ensure accurate vulnerability identification
    • Tool configuration shall be maintained to reflect current security standards and threat landscape
  • Vulnerability Management:
    • All identified vulnerabilities shall be tracked and prioritized based on risk.
    • Remediation of vulnerabilities shall adhere to the following timelines:
    • Critical vulnerabilities: within [Timeframe, e.g., 7 days]
    • High vulnerabilities: within [Timeframe, e.g., 30 days]
    • Medium vulnerabilities: within [Timeframe, e.g., 90 days]
      • Any vulnerability that cannot be remediated within the defined timeframe shall require a formal risk acceptance document to be signed by the Information Owner and the Security Officer.
      • Vulnerability remediation shall be verified through re-testing.

3.3 Dynamic Testing and Security Assessment

Comprehensive dynamic testing shall validate the security of applications in runtime environments.

3.3.1 Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
  • Automated Security Scanning:
    • DAST tools shall be integrated into the CI/CD pipeline for continuous security testing
    • Automated scans shall be performed on all web applications and APIs
    • Scanning shall cover common vulnerabilities including OWASP Top 10
    • Scan results shall be automatically triaged and assigned for remediation
    • Baseline scans shall be established to track security improvements over time
  • Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST):
    • IAST tools shall be deployed in testing environments where technically feasible
    • Real-time vulnerability detection during functional testing
    • Integration with development tools for immediate feedback on security issues
    • Coverage analysis to ensure comprehensive security testing
    • Correlation with static analysis results for complete vulnerability assessment
3.3.2 Penetration Testing Requirements
  • Internal Penetration Testing:
    • Applications handling ePHI or Confidential data shall undergo annual penetration testing
    • Testing shall be performed by qualified internal security team members or approved third parties
    • Testing scope shall include application logic, authentication, authorization, and data protection
    • Network-level testing shall validate infrastructure security controls
    • Social engineering testing shall assess human factors in application security
  • External Penetration Testing:
    • Critical applications shall undergo annual third-party penetration testing.
    • Testing shall be performed by certified security professionals (CISSP, CEH, OSCP).
    • Testing methodology shall follow industry standards (OWASP, NIST, PTES).
    • A formal remediation plan shall be created for all identified vulnerabilities, with owners and timelines assigned for each finding. This plan shall be tracked to completion by the Security Team.
    • Executive summary and technical reports shall be provided to stakeholders.

4. Standards Compliance

See Annex: Control Mapping

5. Definitions

See Annex: Glossary

6. Responsibilities

Role Responsibility
Security Officer Develop secure coding policies, coordinate security testing programs, provide security guidance, and ensure compliance with security standards and regulations.
Development Team Lead Ensure team compliance with secure coding practices, coordinate security reviews, manage security training for developers, and implement security tools and processes within the team.
Software Developers Follow secure coding standards, participate in code reviews, use security testing tools, remediate identified vulnerabilities, and complete required security training.
Security Engineers Perform security assessments, conduct penetration testing, review security architecture, provide security guidance to development teams, and maintain security testing tools.
Quality Assurance Team Execute security test cases, validate security controls, coordinate dynamic testing activities, verify vulnerability remediation, and ensure security requirements are met.
DevOps Engineers Integrate security testing tools into CI/CD pipelines, manage security scanning automation, maintain security tool configurations, and ensure continuous security validation.
Architecture Team Define secure coding patterns and standards, conduct security design reviews, establish security guidelines for development teams, and provide architectural security guidance.
All Workforce Members Report security vulnerabilities and concerns, follow established security procedures, complete required training, and support security initiatives within their respective roles.