Secure Software Development in the Era of Fluid Multi-party Open Software and Services

TL;DR

This paper reviews current software security approaches in the context of rapid, component-based development and suggests shifting towards more automated, incremental, and artifact-based security assurance methods.

Contribution

It provides an overview of existing security techniques and advocates for a transition to lightweight, scalable, and automated security evaluation approaches suitable for modern development practices.

Findings

Current security methods are less effective for rapid, component-based updates.

Artifact-based and automated security evaluation can improve assurance.

Lightweight screening mechanisms are necessary for scalable security.

Abstract

Pushed by market forces, software development has become fast-paced. As a consequence, modern development projects are assembled from 3rd-party components. Security & privacy assurance techniques once designed for large, controlled updates over months or years, must now cope with small, continuous changes taking place within a week, and happening in sub-components that are controlled by third-party developers one might not even know they existed. In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of the current software security approaches and evaluate their appropriateness in the face of the changed nature in software development. Software security assurance could benefit by switching from a process-based to an artefact-based approach. Further, security evaluation might need to be more incremental, automated and decentralized. We believe this can be achieved by supporting mechanisms for lightweight and scalable screenings that are applicable to the entire population of software components albeit there might be a price to pay.