infoTECH Feature

February 23, 2017

What Makes Computer Software Secure?

By Special Guest
Sophia Mixon, Content Writer

If you are looking to develop your own software, you’ll not only need to make sure it does the job it was designed to do, but you’ll also need to make sure it is as secure as possible. This is very hard to do because computer hackers are always one step ahead when it comes to knowing how to sneak their way into software to do damage. During the planning stages of software development, it’s important to think about all possible security flaws and how you can come up with ways to protect your software. If you concentrate on the following points, then your software will be as secure as possible.

Database Security

When developing software you will more than likely be using databases to store important information, and sometimes that information could be personal, so it’s always important to make sure the software can’t be subject to SQL database injection. This can be done by preventing users of the software from entering certain characters into forms. Many hackers can enter code into software forms and hack the database that way, so you will need to make sure they can’t by following the latest SQL injection prevention tips.

Error Reporting

You may be the best software developer in the world, but it’s important to take advantage of a programming language’s ability to report errors. The problem some languages have when reporting errors is that they can display internal coding information externally for the user to see, so it’s always wise to make sure errors are logged in a file that can’t be accessed unless it is via the backend.

Software Privileges

When programming software, it’s important that you only give certain code the privileges it needs to do its job and nothing more. You don’t want to give out shell access needlessly, as that can prompt major security issues not just for your application, but also for the server and database it is using to work. The same should be considered for file privileges – if your software can work when certain files aren’t even readable, then that would be the best option in ensuring hackers can’t access files at all.

Password Protection & Security

One of the most important things to consider when developing software is to ensure your user passwords are as safe as possible and any personal information is safe. You can do this when considering database security, but you’ll also want to make sure passwords are encrypted when they are sent to the database, and any licenses that users need to operate the software are also secure.

If the software you are developing needs to be as secure as possible because it will be processing a lot of client information, it would always be wise to hire a software development company to undertake the project. It will be very costly, but it’s always an option, especially if you’re not confident in ensuring your software’s security on your own. Security is never going to be guaranteed with any software you develop, but implementing the above points into your software design will make it as hard as possible for hackers to do any damage or steal personal information.




Edited by Alicia Young
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