How do you secure your software after deployment?

Securing your software after deployment is a crucial step in the software development life cycle (SDLC). It involves protecting your software from unauthorized access, malicious attacks, data breaches, and other threats that could compromise its functionality, performance, or reputation. In this article, you will learn some best practices and tips on how to secure your software after deployment.

1 Monitor and update

One of the most important aspects of securing your software after deployment is to monitor its activity and performance regularly. You should use tools and methods that can track and analyze your software's behavior, usage, errors, feedback, and security incidents. This way, you can identify and fix any issues, vulnerabilities, or bugs that could affect your software's security or quality. You should also update your software frequently with patches, fixes, or enhancements that can improve its security, functionality, or compatibility.

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David Owens

Java Developer
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The key answer to the question of "How do you secure your software after deployment." is easy you can't. If you don't start with security as an underlying chief requirement you are starting from a position of weakness. Take some time early to describe security from an ROI perspective. There are enough known cases of data breaches and other security issues and the fines that were paid, and the hits to quarterly profits to make this quantifiable. Do this in writing and publish it such that if there were a problem that no one will be able to say, "we did not know".

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Srinivas Setlur

GEN AI, AWS & Devops, Project Management & Configuration Management , RPA Shared Services , ServiceNow (ITSM) , E2E zero touch automation
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Post deployment large companies would extend the warranty support for 90 days. Post 90 days , support team of L1 and L2 would be available to monitor the projects , fix defects and change requests .

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Bhavani Shankar Mudigonda

IT Governance & Audit | Technology Risk | Production Support | Team Management | Process Improvements | Project Management | Tech Standards (SDLC, Security, Operations, Data)
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Periodic attestation of the critical IT assets such as functional ids (used by jobs/programs/scripts to access the applications), SSL certificates (public and private), Fire Id audits (ids used by application operations groups to access production systems) and controlled list of authorized users (revoking access as soon as the employee quits or moves to different team) is crucial among other activities.

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2 Encrypt and backup

Another essential aspect of securing your software after deployment is to encrypt and backup your data. You should use encryption techniques and algorithms that can protect your data from unauthorized access, modification, or theft. Encryption can also help you comply with data protection laws and regulations that apply to your software's domain or industry. You should also backup your data regularly and store it in a safe and reliable location. Backup can help you recover your data in case of a disaster, a cyberattack, or a human error that could damage or delete your data.

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3 Test and audit

A third aspect of securing your software after deployment is to test and audit your software's security. You should conduct security testing and auditing throughout the SDLC, but especially after deployment, to ensure that your software meets the security standards and requirements that you have defined. You should use tools and methods that can simulate different types of attacks, such as penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, or code analysis. You should also audit your software's security policies, procedures, and controls, such as access management, authentication, authorization, or logging.

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4 Educate and train

A fourth aspect of securing your software after deployment is to educate and train your users and staff. You should provide them with clear and comprehensive information and guidance on how to use your software safely and securely. You should also train them on how to recognize and respond to potential security threats, such as phishing, malware, or social engineering. You should also encourage them to report any security incidents or concerns that they encounter or observe. Educating and training your users and staff can help you prevent or mitigate human errors or negligence that could jeopardize your software's security.

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5 Review and improve

A fifth aspect of securing your software after deployment is to review and improve your software's security. You should evaluate your software's security performance and effectiveness regularly and compare it with your security goals and objectives. You should also collect and analyze feedback and suggestions from your users, staff, or stakeholders on how to improve your software's security. You should also keep up with the latest trends and developments in software security and adopt best practices and standards that can enhance your software's security. Reviewing and improving your software's security can help you maintain or increase your software's value, trust, and reputation.

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