20 Expert Tips For Building Security Into New Tech Products

When designing and developing a new technology product or service, it's easy to focus on functionality and prioritize security. However, savvy technology leaders and teams know that security must be a top priority when developing new technology products.

Establishing security from the start is easier, safer and more effective than sitting idly and plugging gaps – or worse, leaving a product or service vulnerable to cyber attack. Below, 20 members of the Forbes Technology Council share practical, expert advice on how to put security at the heart of all new technology products and team cultures.

1. SDLC Analysis

Start by analyzing the software development cycle to create more secure products. Seamlessly improve pipeline security from development to testing, production, and internal or external distribution. Integrating authentication, encryption and code injection into DevOps processes can help ensure software integrity and security throughout the software chain. - Gregory Webb, AppViewX

2. Conduct an independent safety assessment of the project.

I think that independent design safety assessments and appropriate test plans are needed to ensure product safety. It all starts with design and ends with independent verification. - Richard Ricks, Silver Tree Consulting and Services

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3. Assemble a team of external security engineers.

Technology leaders should build a team of external, independent security engineers. This team is involved in regular vulnerability scanning, patching process etc. A framework must be implemented that includes clear actions and the right to discontinue products due to safety concerns This indicates that safety is paramount and takes precedence over product marketing decisions. - Purnima Devale, Menlo Security

4. Follow safety principles while designing

Follow security best practices and policies. This includes integrating security into all stages of product or software development. Focus on user-centric security with proactive security, least privilege, safe defaults, layered security, resilience mechanisms, and continuous testing and updates against emerging threats. -Faisal Farid, Amazon Web Services

5. Make safety your core value.

Promote a culture of safety. When building a product from scratch, emphasize the importance of design safety principles during the design phase. This significantly reduces the number of vulnerabilities that can be exploited before release to the market. When leaders make safety a core value, employees will understand the importance of safety and follow their lead. -Chris Wysopal, Veracode

6. Understand your audience's use cases

Understanding your audience's use case should be a key factor in your product development. Does the client face any specific regulatory requirements? What are the ethical implications of their art? I recommend conducting extensive research to predict how users will interact with your technology in real-world situations and conducting a risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities. -Gary Sangh, LexCheck

7. Empower your CISO and security team

Make sure your CISO and security team are empowered. Often, security is a half-baked concept in the SDLC. Finally, we are surprised to learn that bad practices lead to serious data breaches. To avoid this, apply best practices from a process perspective and support your team with AI tools to accelerate their work. -Mark Mahle, NetActuate, Inc.

8. Apply these three points to every new project

To begin with, end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, code and database audits should be paramount. If you can apply these three factors to your product or service from the start, you'll have a solid foundation for better security in the future. Products with low security tend to apply security first and then randomly. It's a question of preparation: safety must be a priority from day one. - Tom Roberto, SG Network Services

9. Think "when," not "if."

Take a "when" approach to a security incident, not an "if". Use the Cyber ​​Security Framework as a guide. The key components of most systems are detection, protection, detection, response and recovery. Remember that many attackers don't need your information, but want to separate it from you. How quickly a business recovers from an incident will determine whether it can continue to operate. -Sarah Goffman, TCE Communications, Inc.

10. Ensure SOC 2 compliance.

Ensuring SOC 2 compliance from the start is an important step in building security into technology products from the start. Carefully review the SOC 2 framework and its requirements, develop comprehensive security procedures (in case something goes wrong), and regularly test and monitor your systems. -Ravi Kurani, Sutro

11. Use third-party plugins

A simple solution to integrating secure coding practices into your product development process is to use third-party IDE plugins. The plugin identifies issues and helps developers when writing code to ensure that the code (before any build) meets the required security requirements. - Mark Schlesinger, Broadridge Financial Solutions

12. Make security a feature of your business.

In the rush to launch a new technology product, teams may view security as a cost or delay. Work with your company leaders to discover how security can be a business advantage. It can differentiate your product from your competitors or open up new market segments. When security is part of a company's appeal, it's no longer just an important element: it becomes an essential part of your product's success. - Ilya Sotnikov, Neturix

13. Encourage your team to think like hackers

Integrate a "safety first" philosophy into your company culture. It's not just about adding layers of security after development; It's about checking for potential vulnerabilities at every stage from concept to implementation. Encourage your team to think like hackers and predict attack vectors, making security a creative and proactive part of product development. - Sandro Šubladze, Datam

14. Adopt a zero trust policy.

Technology leaders must implement a zero trust policy if they want to ensure strong security in their new products. You should assume that no device, employee or user can be trusted without verifying their identity using multi-factor authentication or other verification methods. By taking the time to integrate these features into your product, you will reduce risk and help stop potential attackers -Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

15. Use existing templates and libraries.

Take the time to learn how to use the templates and libraries available for security. Whether it's encryption, roles or authentication, security professionals have spent years building and testing systems in real-world use cases. Getting started with this library requires a high level of training; However, it will save you a lot of headaches and potential lawsuits in the future. -Jonathan Stewart, GenSource

16. Establish clear rules

Develop clear security requirements and guidelines for your development team, incorporating industry best practices and standards. Implement continuous monitoring and testing methods, including penetration testing and code reviews, to quickly identify and resolve vulnerabilities. By integrating security into your product design, you can better protect your technology. - Rangan Venkataraman, Resilience LLC

17. Limit the amount of information you collect

Limiting the amount of data collected by a product is the only reliable way to prevent data theft. In recent years, systems ranging from government departments to police databases, credit card companies and banks have been hacked Therefore, nothing is more secure than not collecting or storing data. - Kevin Korte, Univ

18. Switch to timed login

Building a successful technology product is like building the structure of a city: both will fail if the foundation is not strong. Security should be built into the heart of your product. Go online and move away from outdated password policies Make sure your security team is trained in programming and understands the software development lifecycle. - Jonathan Doughty, Mentat, LLC

19. Make sure your product, development, and security teams are aligned

Start with clear alignment between product, engineering, and security teams. Ensure safety of product concepts, specifications and preliminary designs. Then agree to review the product (code-to-customer path) to ensure that security criteria are met. This will help strengthen the position of protection as an accelerator of market access rather than a point of friction. - Lou Senko, second quarter

20. Collaborate with the cybersecurity community.

Build security into the DNA of your technology, not as an add-on, but as its essence. Start with a comprehensive risk assessment, create backups with strong encryption, and stay aware of evolving threats. Experience some serious ethical hacking. Expand collaboration with the cybersecurity community to make security the core of your innovation, not just a feature. It will build a fortress of trust from the start. -Andrew Blackman, EZ Cloud

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