Software security is essential for continuous accurate function even under malicious attack. It involves the process which helps in design and implementation of software which protects the data and resources contained in and controlled by that software. Appropriate security should be afforded to a software.
Software security ensures the designation of a software for operating at a level of security. It should be able to correct the harm that could be caused by loss, alteration, inaccuracy, unavailability, or misuse of data and resources. The security problems for the software are due to the result of security bugs and defects within the software. The most common security risks are encountered by internet-enabled software applications. Software security assurance programs help in ensuring that the security evaluation has been performed for the software. It also ensures the configuration management and corrective action process for providing security to the existing software and avoiding any other security violations.
A software security assurance may involve ensuring the information processing that is assigned with a particular sensitivity category. The other form of software security assurance involves in ensuring the control and protection of software, its tools and data.
One of the processes of software security assurance, security testing, is aimed to focus on location of software weaknesses. This is involved in identification of unexpected situations that might cause violation of security requirements. Inspection or walk through process includes a security code for examining a product on a step-by-step basis for finding errors. Formal reviews including secure codes are performed at the end of the development phase for each software component. However, an informal secure code is conducted based on requirement for checking a pseudo code or a hand-written documentation. The software security includes various other processes such as logic analysis, data analysis, interface analysis, and constraint analysis.