Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)
What is Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)?
Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)A development lifecycle in which security activities are embedded into every phase, from requirements and design through coding, testing, release and operations.
An SSDLC formalizes when and how security work happens during software delivery rather than treating it as a one-off audit. Typical phases include security requirements, threat modeling, secure architecture review, secure coding standards, code review, SAST, SCA, DAST/IAST, penetration testing, release gates and runtime monitoring. Frameworks such as Microsoft SDL, OWASP SAMM and NIST SSDF describe the practices and maturity levels to aim for. The benefit is predictable risk reduction: vulnerabilities are caught and fixed when they are still cheap, and compliance evidence is generated as a by-product of normal engineering work.
● Examples
- 01
Adopting Microsoft SDL practices across a product organization.
- 02
Implementing OWASP SAMM as the maturity model to track AppSec progress.
● Frequently asked questions
What is Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)?
A development lifecycle in which security activities are embedded into every phase, from requirements and design through coding, testing, release and operations. It belongs to the Application Security category of cybersecurity.
What does Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) mean?
A development lifecycle in which security activities are embedded into every phase, from requirements and design through coding, testing, release and operations.
How do you defend against Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)?
Defences for Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.
What are other names for Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)?
Common alternative names include: SSDLC, Secure development lifecycle.