Security Code Review
& Secure Coding
70% of breaches exploit application vulnerabilities that could have been caught with secure coding practices and automated security testing. Integrate SAST/DAST into your CI/CD pipeline, train developers on OWASP Top 10, and prevent vulnerabilities before they reach production.
Why Secure Coding Is Critical
Without secure coding standards and automated testing, you are shipping vulnerabilities directly to attackers. Shift security left by catching issues in code review, not in production.
To fix a security bug in production vs during development
Exploit application vulnerabilities that could have been caught with code review
Of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities with proper SAST/DAST integration
Security Testing Types
Layer multiple testing approaches for comprehensive coverage
Static Analysis (SAST)
Analyze source code without executing it. Finds vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS, hardcoded secrets
Pros:
- Finds issues early
- No running application needed
- Fast feedback
Cons:
- • False positives
- • Misses runtime issues
- • Language-specific
Tools:
SonarQube, Semgrep, Snyk Code, Checkmarx, Fortify
Dynamic Analysis (DAST)
Test running application like an attacker would. Finds runtime vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, authentication flaws
Pros:
- Tests real environment
- Language-agnostic
- Finds runtime issues
Cons:
- • Requires running app
- • Slower
- • Misses code-level logic
Tools:
OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, Acunetix, Netsparker, AppScan
Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Scan dependencies for known vulnerabilities (CVEs). Alerts on outdated libraries with security issues
Pros:
- Finds supply chain risks
- Easy to automate
- Actionable results
Cons:
- • Only covers dependencies
- • Misses custom code
- • Upgrade fatigue
Tools:
Snyk, Dependabot, WhiteSource, OWASP Dependency-Check, Trivy
OWASP Top 10 Security Risks
Train developers to recognize and prevent these critical vulnerabilities
Broken Access Control
Users can access resources they shouldn't (e.g., view other users' data)
Prevention: Enforce authorization checks on every request. Default deny.
Cryptographic Failures
Exposing sensitive data due to weak or missing encryption
Prevention: Use TLS everywhere. Encrypt data at rest. Never roll your own crypto.
Injection
SQL injection, command injection, XSS—untrusted data executed as code
Prevention: Use parameterized queries. Input validation. Output encoding.
Insecure Design
Missing or ineffective security controls in architecture
Prevention: Threat modeling. Secure design patterns. Security requirements.
Security Misconfiguration
Default credentials, verbose errors, unnecessary features enabled
Prevention: Harden configurations. Disable unused features. Automated scanning.
Vulnerable Components
Using libraries with known vulnerabilities (outdated dependencies)
Prevention: SCA tools. Keep dependencies updated. Monitor CVE feeds.
Authentication Failures
Weak passwords, credential stuffing, session fixation
Prevention: MFA. Strong password policies. Rate limiting. Secure session mgmt.
Software & Data Integrity
Insecure CI/CD, unsigned updates, deserialization of untrusted data
Prevention: Code signing. Verify integrity. Avoid deserializing untrusted data.
Security Logging Failures
Insufficient logging prevents detection and incident response
Prevention: Log authentication, access control, input validation failures.
Server-Side Request Forgery
App fetches remote resource without validating user-supplied URL
Prevention: Whitelist allowed URLs. Network segmentation. Input validation.
Implementation Roadmap
Build a secure development lifecycle step-by-step
Integrate SAST in CI/CD
1-2 weeksAutomate static code analysis on every pull request
Tasks:
- Select SAST tool: SonarQube (open-source), Semgrep, Snyk Code, Checkmarx
- Integrate with CI/CD pipeline (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins)
- Configure to run on pull requests and block merge if critical issues found
- Set severity thresholds: block on Critical/High, warn on Medium/Low
- Baseline existing codebase: mark pre-existing issues as "won't fix" to avoid blocking all PRs
- Configure IDE plugins so developers see issues locally before pushing
Add Dependency Scanning (SCA)
1 weekAutomatically detect vulnerable dependencies
Tasks:
- Enable Dependabot/Renovate for automated dependency updates
- Integrate Snyk, WhiteSource, or OWASP Dependency-Check in CI/CD
- Configure to fail builds on High/Critical CVEs in dependencies
- Set up notifications for new vulnerabilities in Slack/email
- Establish process for reviewing and applying security patches weekly
- Use lock files (package-lock.json, Gemfile.lock) to ensure reproducible builds
Implement Security Code Reviews
2 weeksTrain team on secure coding and require security review for critical changes
Tasks:
- Create secure coding checklist based on OWASP Top 10
- Require security-focused review for authentication, authorization, encryption, input validation code
- Designate security champions in each team (train 1-2 developers per team)
- Add security questions to pull request template (e.g., "Does this handle untrusted input?")
- Schedule monthly security code review training sessions
- Create library of secure code examples (authentication, SQL queries, API calls)
Enable DAST for Staging/QA
1-2 weeksScan running applications for vulnerabilities before production
Tasks:
- Select DAST tool: OWASP ZAP (open-source), Burp Suite, Acunetix
- Configure authenticated scans (provide test credentials for full coverage)
- Run DAST scans nightly against staging environment
- Integrate DAST into pre-production approval gate (no deployment with Critical findings)
- Set up alert routing: Critical findings to security team + dev team lead
- Document remediation SLAs: Critical (24h), High (7 days), Medium (30 days)
Train Developers on Secure Coding
OngoingEstablish continuous security education program
Tasks:
- Quarterly OWASP Top 10 training (1-hour workshop per quarter)
- Monthly secure coding tips shared in team meetings (5-10 minutes)
- Annual hands-on security training: CTF-style challenges (DVWA, WebGoat)
- Require new hires to complete secure coding course (SANS, Coursera, internal)
- Share post-mortems of security incidents (sanitized) to educate team
- Gamify: reward developers who find and fix security issues
Establish Security Champions Program
1-2 monthsEmbed security expertise in every development team
Tasks:
- Select 1-2 security champions per team (volunteer basis)
- Provide advanced security training (certifications: CEH, OSCP, CSSLP)
- Champions attend monthly security guild meetings
- Champions review high-risk code changes (authentication, crypto, access control)
- Champions share security updates with their teams
- Recognize champions: career growth path, conference attendance, certifications
Secure Coding Best Practices
✅ Validate all input, sanitize all output
Why: Treat all external data as untrusted. Validate on server-side (client-side is bypassable).
✅ Use parameterized queries (never string concat SQL)
Why: Prevents SQL injection. Use ORM frameworks or prepared statements.
✅ Fail securely (default deny)
Why: If authorization check fails, deny access. Don't grant access on error.
✅ Don't trust deserialized data
Why: Deserialization of untrusted data can lead to RCE. Use JSON, not pickle/serialize.
✅ Keep dependencies updated
Why: Vulnerable libraries are low-hanging fruit for attackers. Automate updates.
✅ Never log sensitive data (passwords, tokens, PII)
Why: Logs are often stored insecurely and accessible to many people.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
❌ SAST finds 1000 issues, team ignores all of them
✅ Solution: Start with Critical/High only. Fix blocking issues first. Gradually reduce threshold. Don't boil the ocean.
❌ Security testing only in production
✅ Solution: Shift left: run SAST on every PR, DAST in staging. Find issues before production.
❌ Developers don't understand security findings
✅ Solution: Provide context: why it matters, how to exploit, how to fix. Link to examples.
❌ Security team as bottleneck for all reviews
✅ Solution: Train security champions. Empower developers to self-review. Security team focuses on high-risk changes.
❌ Treating security tools as "set and forget"
✅ Solution: Tune rules based on your codebase. Review false positives. Update tool configurations quarterly.
Security Testing Tools
Popular SAST, DAST, and SCA platforms
Measure Your Secure Coding Success
Track these metrics to ensure your program is effective