Want to improve your software security? Get rid of the most common cybersecurity mistakes and find valuable software security tips for enhanced software security.
Common Software Security Mistakes that Harms your Software
Software Security: Why it is important and how to protect your software with useful security tips!
The number of attacks on software has significantly increased in recent years. Hence, keeping your software intact and protected from vulnerabilities and cyber threats has become vital today. The software can comprise multiple flaws, intentional and unintentional.
Errors, bugs, faults, loopholes, and external or internal vulnerabilities are some common software security flaws. These flaws make your software weak and allow attackers to exploit the software for their use. Therefore, this blog will share some valuable software security tips with you to keep your software protected and safe for use. Let us start!
The Impact of Software Security Issues
Software security is extremely essential, especially today when data is considered supreme. If any attacker successfully identifies your software’s security design flaws, it can have serious repercussions. Some of them are listed down below:
● Financial Losses
For starters, a lack of software security can seriously impact your organisation’s finances. Depending upon the type of software and the information stored in it, hackers can use it to extract crucial banking information of the customers or the company.
● Operational Losses
The attackers can effortlessly manipulate the code of your software once hacked. They can launch several malicious attacks on the software and disrupt it entirely. This situation may incur several operational losses as you can’t properly provide services to your clients, and the entire system will have to be reinstated.
● Damage to Brand Reputation
Apart from the operational and financial losses, a significant loss that may occur in a software attack is the reputational damage to the software publisher. A successful attack on your software implies that your software security is weak, and people would avoid investing in your products.
● Gain for the Competitors
Where an attack on the software is damaging for the software publisher, it is an opportunity for gain for the competitors. They can strategically use this incident to promote their products and incline users towards their brand.
What are the Types of Software Vulnerabilities?
Software security vulnerabilities are categorised into different types. The following are the most common types of software vulnerabilities.
1. Operating System Vulnerabilities
These are common software vulnerabilities present within a particular operating system. The attackers may exploit these flaws to gain access to the system and cause damage.
2. Network Vulnerabilities
These are flaws or issues present within a network’s hardware or software that expose it to outside parties, and they can intrude and disrupt the entire network of the software.
3. Process Vulnerabilities
These are the most common security mistakes made by coders while designing software. They unintentionally leave some part of the code unprotected, which the attackers identify and use to exploit the system.
4. Human Vulnerabilities
Human errors are still considered the weakest link in cybersecurity. Humans make many mistakes, such as using weak passwords, leaving loopholes in the code, improper code protection etc. These human vulnerabilities can create exploitable access points for attackers and expose sensitive data.
What are the Most Common Software Security Mistakes?
We all make mistakes. But when the risk involved is extremely high, it is better to do the work more consciously to avoid the mistakes that can damage the system. The following are the most common software security mistakes you must know about:
Hidden Backdoor Programs
It is an intentionally created software security vulnerability. System administrators usually create backdoor programs to get remote access to the system for problem fixing, diagnostics, configurations, etc.
However, if the backdoor is installed without user intent and knowledge, it can be called a hidden backdoor program. A hidden backdoor can easily provide access to all your system and files, and the attacker can significantly exploit your software.
Broken Authentication and Session Management
The attackers commonly use this software security flaw to lead their way into the software. It is one of the simplest ways for hackers to access as the chances of getting errors through this method are higher.
Here is how this software security mistake can be carried out:
Injection Flaws
Injection flaws are common software security flaws that can be extremely dangerous for your system. These usually occur by passing unfiltered data to the SQL server. If the attacker successfully places its malicious file on your server, the percussions can be disastrous.
So, whenever your application receives anything from an untrusted source, it must be filtered there and then. If not, the intruders can inject commands to hijack clients’ browsers, resulting in data loss.
Broken User Access Control
Missing account restrictions or improper account configurations can facilitate unauthorised access to sensitive data of the software. This is a common mistake often made by coders to not include all the needed restrictions in the software. However, cybercriminals are trained to spot these vulnerabilities. This allows them to access your software and damage it purposefully.
URL Manipulation
It is undoubtedly one of the developers’ most common web application security mistakes. In this method, a hacker simply manipulates a URL by changing parts of the URL of a web-based application. It is a complete trial and error approach to gain access to the user system.
Unfortunately, this method can produce results and enable hackers to access the system. Therefore, keep your software updated with the latest security patches, which eliminates the occurrence of any such events.
Cross-Site Scripting
It is commonly referred to as an .XSS attack in which an attacker executes malicious scripts on trusted websites within a web application. These scripts are extremely manipulative and enable attackers to bypass access controls.
For instance, any user entering his personal data into the software will also be revealed to attackers, and they can use it for their benefit. Cross-site scripting poses a threat to your software if:
Wrong Use of Admin Account Privileges
The admin account has all of the privileges linked to it. This means if you have an admin account, you can make all kinds of changes to the software. Sometimes, developers make the mistake of keeping the admin rights open to all.
This mistake should never be made as there may be many people who would exploit this right and try to harm your software.
Automated Running of Scripts
Some browsers, such as Safari, are programmed to automatically run scripts if they are from a safe or trusted source. However, the cybercriminals of modern times are quite clever, and they mimic a trusted piece of code and trick the browser into running their executable code.
This code can be highly malicious and harm your software architecture by providing unauthorised access via the internet browser. This mistake can be avoided by disabling the automatic running of the “safe” files command in your browser.
No Code Testing for Third Party
It might surprise you if you aren’t a developer, but software programmers never build the code from scratch. They use already existing code from different platforms and paste it to build programs for their software. However, not all developers test the code they borrow from another website. It is a most common security mistake made by coders as the file they procured may contain a hidden malicious program that can harm your software integrity.
Code Signing: The Solution to Software Security Vulnerabilities
Code signing is the process of adding a digital signature to your software to confirm the software publisher and ensure the code is safe to use and has not been altered. The process works by employing a cryptographic hash function in the code to validate its authenticity and integrity.
Code signing your software is necessary to provide your software with the right security measures. Also, it adds a level of trust for your customers, and they would unhesitantly use your software. A code signing certificate for your software can be obtained by different certification authorities such as Sectigo Code Signing, Comodo Code Signing etc.
Conclusion
Now that you are aware of the most common software security mistakes, make sure to keep your software away from them. Also, get code signing certificate for your software is always suggested to ensure better software security and growth. Higher the security, the lesser the number of vulnerabilities and the probability of cyber-attacks.