Secure Software Development Policy (ENG-POL-001)

1. Objective

The objective of this policy is to establish comprehensive security requirements for software development at [Company Name] that meet SOC 2 requirements while maintaining practical implementation. This policy ensures security controls are integrated into development processes to protect company information systems and maintain system security.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all [Company Name] workforce members involved in software development, including developers, testers, and DevOps personnel. It covers all software development projects including new applications, system modifications, and third-party integrations across all environments (development, testing, production).

3. Policy

[Company Name] implements security principles throughout the software development lifecycle to ensure applications and systems are built with appropriate security controls.

3.1 Security by Design

Security shall be considered and integrated throughout all phases of software development rather than added as an afterthought.

  • Security Requirements: Security considerations shall be identified and documented for applications that handle sensitive data based on the Data Classification and Handling Policy (SEC-POL-004).

  • Threat Modeling: Development teams shall consider potential security threats and design appropriate mitigations for applications handling Confidential data.

  • Secure Architecture: Applications shall be designed with security principles including defense in depth, least privilege, and fail-safe defaults.

3.2 Automated Security Integration

All code shall undergo automated security scanning before deployment to production using tools integrated into the CI/CD pipeline.

  • Continuous Security Testing: Automated security scanning tools shall be integrated into the development pipeline to identify vulnerabilities early in the development process.

  • Build Failure on Critical Issues: The build process shall fail if critical security vulnerabilities are detected, preventing insecure code from reaching production.

  • Tool Maintenance: Security scanning tools shall be kept current with the latest vulnerability signatures and detection capabilities.

3.3 Code Quality and Review

All production code changes shall undergo review processes to ensure quality and security standards are met.

  • Peer Review: All code changes shall be reviewed by at least one qualified team member before deployment to production.

  • Security Focus: Code reviews shall include consideration of security implications, secure coding practices, and potential vulnerabilities.

  • Documentation: Review approvals and any identified issues shall be documented in the version control system.

3.4 Shared Security Responsibility

Security is a shared team responsibility, with all team members contributing to secure development practices.

  • Team Accountability: All development team members are responsible for following secure coding practices and identifying potential security issues.

  • Team Lead Oversight: Team leads are responsible for ensuring team members understand and follow secure development practices and receive appropriate security training.

  • Collaborative Security: Security considerations shall be discussed openly within development teams and integrated into regular development activities.

3.5 Third-Party Component Security

Third-party libraries and components shall be managed to minimize security risks.

  • Vulnerability Assessment: Third-party components shall be regularly scanned for known security vulnerabilities using automated tools.

  • Update Management: Third-party components with known security vulnerabilities shall be updated promptly or replaced with secure alternatives.

  • Component Inventory: An inventory of third-party components shall be maintained to support security tracking and vulnerability management.

3.6 Security Training and Awareness

Development team members shall receive appropriate security training to support secure development practices.

  • Initial Training: New development team members shall receive secure coding training within [Number, e.g., 90] days of starting.

  • Ongoing Education: Development team members shall receive regular security training updates covering current threats and secure development practices.

  • Practical Application: Security training shall focus on practical application of secure coding principles relevant to the company’s development technologies and practices.

4. Standards Compliance

This policy is designed to comply with and support the following industry standards and regulations.

Policy Section Standard/Framework Control Reference
All SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC8.1 - System Development
3.3, 3.4 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC7.1 - System Monitoring
3.2 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC6.1 - Logical Access Security

5. Definitions

Automated Security Scanning: Tools that automatically analyze code, dependencies, and applications for security vulnerabilities.

Code Review: The systematic examination of source code by peers to identify defects and security vulnerabilities before deployment.

Secure Coding: Programming practices that prevent common security vulnerabilities and implement appropriate security controls.

Third-Party Component: External software libraries, frameworks, or modules used in application development.

6. Responsibilities

Role Responsibility
IT Manager/Security Officer Develop and maintain secure development policies and ensure security scanning tools are available and current.
Development Team Lead Ensure team compliance with secure development practices, coordinate code reviews, and ensure team members receive appropriate security training.
Software Developers Follow secure coding practices, participate in code reviews, complete required security training, and report security vulnerabilities.
All Development Team Members Support security initiatives and collaborate on implementing secure development practices within their teams.