Security Development Lifecycle

Full Title or Meme

Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) is a process used in software development to assure release software in not vulnerable to attack.

Context

In a development environment where architectures as well as finished design are subject to a Thread Model analysis, some guidance about how to handle vulnerabilities that are processed in the analysis would be needed.

Security Bug Bar

The Security Bug Bar is a key component of the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) used to classify and prioritize security vulnerabilities. It helps ensure that the most severe bugs are addressed first, enhancing overall software security.

1. **Classification System**: The bug bar provides an objective system to classify security bugs based on their severity. This helps in triaging and prioritizing fixes¹².

2. **Severity Levels**: Bugs are categorized into different severity levels such as Critical, Important, Moderate, and Low. Each level has specific criteria, such as the potential impact on the system and the ease of exploitation¹².

3. **Examples of Criteria**:

  - **Critical**: Includes vulnerabilities like remote code execution or unauthorized access to sensitive data¹.
  - **Important**: May involve issues like denial of service that can be easily exploited¹.
  - **Moderate and Low**: Typically include less severe issues that might still affect system reliability or performance¹.

4. **Application**: The bug bar is used throughout the development process to ensure that security is integrated at every stage, from design to deployment².

5. **AI/ML Considerations**: There are also specific guidelines for AI/ML-related security issues, ensuring that these emerging technologies are also covered by the bug bar⁵.

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 8/22/2024

(2) Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle Practices. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/securityengineering/sdl/practices.
(3) AI/ML Pivots to the Security Development Lifecycle Bug Bar. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/engineering/bug-bar-aiml.
(4) unity-ssdlc/Security Process/Bug-Bar.md at master - GitHub. https://github.com/UnityTech/unity-ssdlc/blob/master/Security%20Process/Bug-Bar.md.
(5) Security Briefs - Add a Security Bug Bar to Microsoft Team Foundation .... https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2010/march/security-briefs-add-a-security-bug-bar-to-microsoft-team-foundation-server-2010.
(6) undefined. https://microsoft.com/sdl.