SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS SECURITY PROCEDURES: A SAFE FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE SMART CITIES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development. This framework identifies various security actions and procedures that can be implemented at each phase of the SDLC to mitigate vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security posture of smart city applications. In recent years, trust has been increased on smart city apps. As a result, there are a lot more attempts by cybercriminals to take advantage of weaknesses in smart applications. Thus, to provide sustainable smart cities, it is much needed to improve security in smart applications during the software development process. Adopting security standards during the software development process is a difficulty, though. There are numerous well-established and developed frameworks for security testing that take security requirements and testing into account during the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). However, smart city applications present special challenges that call for an all-encompassing strategy to handle the dynamic threat landscape in this setting.

Specification

Description:Field of the Invention
The invention belongs to the field of software security engineering, more particular to a framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development.
Background of the Invention
Smart applications are crucial for both individuals and organizations to accomplish a variety of objectives. However, the widespread adoption of these applications has also heightened the risk of cyber-attacks. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in software to carry out malicious activities, causing significant harm. The threat posed by hackers has escalated dramatically in recent years, prompting organizations to intensify their efforts in combating these challenges. Thus, bolstering the security of smart city applications is essential to navigate these obstacles and sustain smart city implementations. Organizations have recognized the imperative of fortifying defenses to enhance the security of software applications. Below is a list of these:
• Comprehensive Integration: Our approach ensures that security testing procedures are included from the beginning of development, covering all stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC), in contrast to existing frameworks.
• Tailored for Smart Cities: Our architecture recognizes the unique security needs of smart city applications and offers tailored security controls to mitigate certain threats associated with networked systems and Internet of Things gadgets.
• Early Risk Management: By incorporating security testing early on in the development process, our approach seeks to proactively identify and mitigate potential security threats, reducing the likelihood that vulnerabilities would be present in the finished product.
Some of the key contributions available in the field of proposed invention are listed below:
Ullah, F. et al.(2021), introduced a risk management framework focusing on technology, organizational, and environmental factors to evaluate and mitigate risks in smart cities. They identified key risks and recommended strategies to improve safety, security, and privacy for citizens. The study highlighted specific risks linked to smart city applications, emphasizing the importance of securing these applications during their development phase.
Taheri, R., et al.(2023), analysed the Common Criteria (CC) secure software development methodology alongside other security development models. It was suggested that CC, recognized as an international Information Technology security standard (ISO/IEC 15408), could serve as a guiding framework for developers to implement a secure software development lifecycle.
Núñez, J.C.S., et al.(2020), examined existing security software development models and introduced a new methodology, known as the Viewnext-UEx model, aimed at securing software applications. They tested this model in a real-world setting and found it reduced vulnerability detection by 66 percent. The authors concluded that adopting this new methodology enhanced both the security and overall quality of software applications.
Valdés-Rodríguez, et al.(2023), introduced a novel software development approach that incorporates security practices throughout the development lifecycle, leveraging agile methodologies. This model integrates security considerations into each phase of development to identify and address vulnerabilities efficiently, without incurring additional time or costs.
Drawings
Fig.1 illustrates the summary of the framework for security testing
Fig.2 Complementing suggested security testing procedures during software development stages
Detailed Description of the Invention
The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms "comprising," "comprises," and the like (which are synonymous with "including," "having" and "characterized by") may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases "consisting essentially of," consists essentially of," and the like or the respective closed phrases "consisting of," "consists of, the like. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.
The present invention relates to a framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development. The present system has four main phases of applying security testing for the smart application. The preparation phase, Requirements phase, Implementation phase, and Improvement phase:
1. Phase 1: preparation phase- crucial for establishing security testing objectives within the software development process and increasing the expertise of software development teams. This phase includes three practices:
A. Review Policies and Procedures evaluate security policies and procedures through the following steps:
• Detail how the review addresses specific security requirements and goals for smart cities.
• Define and evaluate relevant policies, regulations, and standards.
• Review assessment outcomes with other departments such as legal, quality assurance, and strategic planning.
• Present findings to senior management for approval.
B. Define Evaluation Metrics establishing evaluation metrics for security testing involves:
• Customizing metrics to align with smart city security objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Emphasizing criteria that are pertinent to the distinctive aspects of smart city software development.
• Identifying KPIs for security objectives.
• Specifying the criteria used to evaluate security tasks.
• Implementing a monitoring system to verify completion of security tasks and generate precise reports.
C. Training Program developing a security training program for development teams involves the following steps:
• Incorporate case studies and examples specific to smart city application security.
• Focus on understanding unique attack vectors and defense strategies within smart city environments.
• Establish a structured training curriculum tailored to team roles and responsibilities.
• Implement security awareness workshops or e-learning modules as a foundational component for all team members.
• Provide training on risk assessment methodologies and security testing tools.
• Create a centralized portal containing resources for software protection, including white papers, tool guidelines, training materials, and updates on vulnerabilities.
2. Phase 2- Requirements phase- During the requirements phase, security guidelines are established and requirements are analyzed according to business functions, best security practices, and the outcomes of risk assessments. This phase involves two main steps: conducting risk assessments and analyzing security requirements.
A. Risk assessment is the vital process of determining, assessing, and reducing risks to an appropriate degree. In order to understand potential threats and vulnerabilities unique to this domain, this step is especially crucial for smart city applications and calls for careful planning and implementation (ISO, 2021c; NIST, 2021).
• Clearly state the factors to be taken into account for IoT devices, linked networks, and citizen data, among other smart city assets.
• Modify risk standards to align with the unique characteristics of smart city settings.

B. Security Requirements Analysis is essential for pinpointing certain security testing procedures and tasks in the software development lifecycle of applications for smart cities. The following are the implementation steps:

• Examining risk assessment reports and following best practices for security: examining risk assessment reports to learn more about important security concerns.
• Carrying out threat modeling utilizing proactive threat modeling to find more security vulnerabilities.
3. Phase 3- implementation phase- implementation phase emphasizes carrying out security testing in accordance with defined security criteria at every level of the software development process, beginning at the very beginning. Testing reports that include the methods, instruments, results, and the state of the adjustments are the product of this step. This stage consists of three main steps: creating a plan for testing, carrying out the tests, and evaluating the outcomes.
A. The testing plan is developed in accordance with security regulations and standards. The procedures and methods for carrying out software security testing are described in this document. The plan is crafted with the help of the following steps (Radack et al., 2008):
• Include pertinent scenarios and examples that are relevant to applications in smart cities.
• Verify that the testing strategy takes into account the many security risks that linked urban systems present.
• Recognize the security requirements and standards listed in the guidelines, and give a thorough description of the testing procedure.
• Indicate the seriousness of the test results and order the necessary steps.
• Specify testing procedures, methodologies, and resources, such as automated, semi-automated, manual, and code review techniques.
• Create test cases in accordance with the security principles, tying each test case to a particular security criterion.
B. Testing Execution is the central component of the implementation phase is testing execution, which involves scrutinizing the software application throughout its development stages to detect security issues. The following activities are instrumental in achieving effective execution (Jammeh, 2020):
• Define specific security testing methods tailored for smart city applications, addressing vulnerabilities in IoT devices, dynamic network configurations, and the complexities of real-time data processing.
• Use approved testing tools and carry out testing scenarios at every stage of the software development lifecycle.
• To find software vulnerabilities, use a variety of security testing methods, including infrastructure as code analysis, configuration management, penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and static and dynamic application security testing (SAST and DAST).
C. Testing Result Analys Different security testing methodologies are utilized in the testing execution stage, leading to a range of testing results. Thus, it is helpful to compare and contrast these findings in order to properly handle problems from various angles. The crucial phases in the analysis process are as follows (Radack et al., 2008):
• Draw attention to the analytical criteria's applicability to security considerations in smart cities.
• Take into account implementing data analytics methods designed especially for the intricate applications found in smart cities.
• Clearly state the goal of the security testing study and provide standards for contrasting test results.
• Compile testing results into a single report by storing them in a repository.
• Utilize data mining or statistical tools to identify new security issues and create an action plan to resolve these issues.
4. Phase 4- Improvement Phase: Security testing is a continuous procedure that requires an improvement phase in order to find security issues that have not yet been detected. Maintaining a vulnerability repository, managing incident response, and security monitoring are the three core activities that make up this phase.
A. Security monitoring -An automated tool is used in security monitoring to gather and analyze indicators of possible attacks. According to Dempsey et al. (2011), the following procedures help set up security monitoring for the software environment:
• Pay attention to the special features of security monitoring in smart city environments, such as the ability to detect threats in real time across several components.
• Establish requirements by determining goals, priorities, and operational procedures.
• Use an appropriate security monitoring instrument in accordance with the guidelines.

B. Incident response management instead of responding quickly, concentrates on efficiently handling security issues to increase response efficiency. Establishing incident response management requires the following actions (ISO, 2021b):
• Recognize that threats and responses in smart city contexts are dynamic, and make sure that incident response strategies are adaptable and agile.
• To deal with new dangers, develop an incident response strategy.
• Determine who will handle incidents and assign points of contact for security-related matters.
• Create communication channels, protocols, and incident response procedures.
• Create incident response reports and analyze security issues' underlying causes.
C. The vulnerabilities repository is a database of vulnerabilities that develops as security procedures are used in software development. Taking the following steps helps create a vulnerabilities repository:
• Put an emphasis on continuous improvement by enhancing preventive security measures by learning from security incidents unique to smart city applications.
• Examine and take into account fresh threat intelligence obtained from incident response and security monitoring logs.
• Examine common vulnerabilities found in additional repositories.
• Strengthen the software applications' security by improving the repository.
This unique security testing framework is flexible and an upgraded version to accomplish the efficiency and effectiveness of security testing.
This innovation is the seamless integration of security testing across every step of software development.
The advantage of the invention is listed below:
• The primary advantage of this innovation lies in seamlessly integrating security testing throughout every stage of software development.
• The suggested security testing methods are aligned with the various phases of software development, showcasing how testing practices are integrated into the development process.
• The framework that has been developed emphasizes flexibility to ensure efficient and effective security testing.
• Activities such as vulnerability repository maintenance, incident response, and security monitoring help to enhance software quality from a security standpoint and are always informing other security practices about new threats and vulnerabilities.

, Claims:1. A framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development, comprising four main phases:
• Phase 1: preparation phase- crucial for establishing security testing objectives within the software development process and increasing the expertise of software development teams.
• Phase 2- Requirements phase- During the requirements phase, security guidelines are established and requirements are analyzed according to business functions, best security practices, and the outcomes of risk assessments. This phase involves two main steps: conducting risk assessments and analyzing security requirements.
• Phase 3- implementation phase- implementation phase emphasizes carrying out security testing in accordance with defined security criteria at every level of the software development process, beginning at the very beginning. Testing reports that include the methods, instruments, results, and the state of the adjustments are the product of this step. This stage consists of three main steps: creating a plan for testing, carrying out the tests, and evaluating the outcomes.
• Phase 4- Improvement Phase: Security testing is a continuous procedure that requires an improvement phase in order to find security issues that have not yet been detected. Maintaining a vulnerability repository, managing incident response, and security monitoring are the three core activities that make up this phase.
2. The framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the system offers specialized security measures to mitigate specific risks associated with networked systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including but not limited to network security, device authentication, and data privacy.
3. The framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the system proactively identifies and addresses potential security vulnerabilities during the early phases of the software development process, thereby reducing the likelihood of security flaws being incorporated into the final product.
4. The framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the system ensures compliance with industry-leading security standards and regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), during all phases of the software development life cycle.
5. The framework for integrating security testing procedures into the software development life cycle (SDLC) at every stage of development as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the system determines suitable actions and prioritizes security testing activities at each phase of the software development process, based on risk assessments and the specific security requirements of the application.

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