Australian government institutions, businesses, and households continue to be the target of malicious cyber actors. The Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) 2022-23 cyber threat report confirms this, noting that attackers in Australia exploit one in five critical vulnerabilities within 48 hours.
In response to the growing cyber threat, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), released a pivotal guide, Safe Software Deployment: How Software Manufacturers Can Ensure Reliability for Customers. (for avid readers, see link to full guide below under References)
The guide advocates safe software deployment practices, critical to protecting systems from vulnerabilities and ensuring safety for organisations. Let’s take a detailed look at the guide and examine the provided recommendations for delivering reliable and secure software solutions to enterprises.
Key Phases of Safe Software Deployment
The guide outlines six key phases of a safe software development process, including:
- Planning - Each software development project must have a clear plan, detailing the goals, customer needs, potential threats, and success criteria.
- Development and testing - This phase involves software coding and continuous testing to detect issues early and address them
- Internal rollout - The guide encourages rolling out the software internally first before external use to identify further issues and get valuable feedback.
- Deployment and canary testing - In this phase, teams should use small-scale deployments to monitor performance and address issues before a broader rollout.
- Controlled rollout - After successful canary deployment, the team can roll out the software to more users, adding more users and systems as confidence grows.
- Feedback into planning - Throughout the entire process, and especially after the release, it’s important to leverage continuous feedback and insights from quality teams, customers, performance metrics, and issue logs to enable improvements.
The guide also indicates that safe software deployment hinges on structured processes to minimise risk and ensure reliability. Following these key phases can help development teams to improve software quality and security.
Key Actionable Insights from the CISA & ACSC Guide
Here are key insights from the guide to ensure best practices and guide teams through the different phases of software development.
Proactive Risk Management
One of the core principles in CISA and ACSC’s guidance is proactive risk management. Organisations should adopt a forward-looking approach, anticipating potential risks during software development and deployment. They should also use threat modelling to evaluate possible security gaps from external and internal sources.
Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
The guide underscores the importance of a secure SDLC, which integrates security-focused practices across all phases of development. This approach ensures security is embedded in the foundational stages of software development, from initial design to final deployment.
Secure SDLC practices recommended by CISA and ACSC include regular code reviews, automated vulnerability scanning, and thorough testing procedures.
Implementing Strong Identity and Access Management (IAM)
IAM is a cornerstone of reliable software deployment. Ensuring only authorised users have access to specific data or functionalities minimises the risk of insider threats and unauthorised access. Key IAM measures include multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access controls, and strong password policies.
Regular Security Testing and Patching
Frequent testing and prompt patching of security vulnerabilities are vital to preventing exploitation. The guide recommends that teams perform tests, including penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, to identify weak points. Software should also be updated regularly with patches addressing new vulnerabilities, and organisations must always check for new updates to ensure continued protection.
Comprehensive Supply Chain Security
In software development, it’s common to rely on third-party components, libraries, and dependencies, which can potentially introduce supply chain risks.
The CISA-ACSC guide emphasises vetting third-party suppliers to ensure they meet security standards and don’t inadvertently introduce vulnerabilities. Conducting a supply chain risk assessment and regularly auditing third-party components can mitigate risks associated with dependencies.
Effective Incident Response (IR) Planning
Despite robust security practices, incidents can still occur, making incident response (IR) planning essential. An effective IR plan ensures teams know how to respond to security breaches, reducing downtime and minimising damage.
The guide recommends creating an incident response plan with clear communication protocols, roles and responsibilities, and detailed steps for containment and recovery.
Essential Takeaways for Organisations
The recommendations from CISA and ACSC encourage development teams to integrate these guidelines without compromising functionality or performance. Here are immediate actions your organisation can take:
- Adopt security by design - Incorporate security measures into the earliest stages of software design to prevent vulnerabilities from being embedded in the final product.
- Invest in automated security tools - Automated tools for vulnerability detection and patch management can significantly reduce the window of time during which systems are vulnerable to threats.
- Educate development teams on security protocols - Ensuring development team members understand secure coding practices and are aware of potential risks can foster a culture of security from within.
- Collaborate with third-party suppliers on security standards - Work closely with third-party vendors to ensure they adhere to security protocols and have mechanisms to protect their software.
- Establish a transparent update mechanism for end-users - Keeping customers informed about software updates, vulnerabilities, and security patches enhances trust and promotes the adoption of the latest, most secure versions of software products.
Also, building trust through transparency is important to ensure quality end-user experiences. Development teams are encouraged to inform end-users about security protocols, updates, and any incidents that may impact their data security.
Why This Guide Matters for Australian Organisations
Software vulnerabilities undermine product reliability and impact the end-users and your customers. The CISA-ACSC guide empowers development teams to deploy software customers and users can trust, ensuring they have robust protections against evolving threats.
Organisations can apply these recommendations to stay compliant, meet international standards, and offer peace of mind to end users and protect their systems from attacks.
As cyber threats evolve, the focus is shifting from reactive to proactive measures in software security. This CISA-ACSC guidance is invaluable, helping teams create secure, functional, and efficient software. It also helps them to enhance product quality, brand reputation, and customer trust.
Ensure Safe Software Deployment with April9
The Safe Software Deployment guide by CISA and ACSC provides a robust framework for organisations to ensure software security and reliability. At April9, we don't just follow these guidelines — we exceed them. As an ISO 27001-certified organisation since 2021, we have established comprehensive security measures that permeate every aspect of our operations.
Our commitment to security is embedded in our DNA through a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that govern our secure development lifecycle:
- Information Security Policy that sets the foundation for all security practices
- Secure Development Policy ensuring security-first coding practices
- Change Management Policy for controlled system modifications
- Information Retention Policy protecting sensitive data
- Testing Policy guaranteeing thorough security validation
With over 150 security controls under active management and monitoring, we maintain constant vigilance over our development processes and infrastructure. This robust security framework complements our comprehensive platform, Stack9, which delivers the highest level of data security and regulatory adherence while enabling rapid development and integrated functions.
Our managed services go beyond basic support, providing:
- Automated security updates
- Proactive issue monitoring
- Continuous compliance validation
- Real-time threat detection and response
When you choose April9, you're not just getting a software solution – you're partnering with a security-certified organisation that takes your data protection as seriously as you do. Experience the difference of truly secure software development with our composable solution, Stack9.
Ready to see how we can help secure your software future? Request a demo today and discover how Stack9 can deliver the secure, reliable, and efficient software solutions your business demands.
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