How to become a Security Software Developer

A promising career awaits you, should you choose to become a security software developer. This is a growing field and with more cyber threats appearing every day, the need to keep mobile and desktop applications secure has seen exponential growth. It is the responsibility of a security software developer to ensure the security of applications. In simple words, a security software developer is expected to do two things one being developed security software and the other is integrating security into desktop and mobile applications during the designing and development phase.  

The responsibilities assigned to you may vary on the basis of your career level, education, expertise as well as experience. In your first job, you may be required to work on the development of tools for malware, spyware or virus detection as well as traffic analysis. As your career progresses, your job role will evolve, and you may be expected to ensure that all the software have adequate security measures and cannot be compromised due to a bug or a loophole.

Software Security Development

Today, companies rely on software to perform a variety of activities, such as managing finances, registering clients, tracking tasks performed by the team, and many others. And because they all generate data that are crucial to the continuity of operations, managers cannot even think of the possibility of software being invaded, losing control of their activities, and letting sensitive information get away from the system.

In the case of data theft, cybercriminals can erase or sell data to other organizations in order to make a profit. This causes a lot of damage to a company since without data and reliable software no company cannot serve its customers, continue operations and create new products or services.

In the short term, these problems would cost financial resources and important competitive advantages. In the long run, a company’s reputation runs the risk of getting tarnished in the market as customers, shareholders, investors and the general public would know that the company has been targeted by a cyber-attack, which shows its vulnerability. Considering these aspects, security software developers cannot leave information security in the background and should prioritize it when creating solutions for companies.

What does a Security Software Developer Do?

A security software developer develops security software and ensures the security of all mobile and computer applications being developed in the organization. But that’s just a summary of the job and thus we are outlining a few major things that a security software developer do to help you understand what is expected from a security software developer.

From the early stages of development to the implementation phase of the software, good security practices play an extremely important role. Thanks to security software developers, users of the system can perform their activities in complete safety, without feeling vulnerable as the risk of information being stolen is very low. Among the main measures that a security software developer should take, the following are the most important ones:

1) Protect the development environment

The first step in creating a reliable system is to develop it in a secure environment. The developer must rely on security tools and control access to local servers and/or cloud computing. Protecting the development environment ensures that at the development phase, no information gets out to cyber-criminals. Moreover, this will also ensure that the security software development practices will remain known to a few and others (hackers & cybercriminals) have no knowledge about the security measures adopted.

2) Review the code for gaps

A security software developer should constantly review the code for loopholes that can be used by cybercriminals to take control of the software. The person responsible should also do security testing and updates to ensure the software withstands the most recent types of attacks. Reviewing the code for gaps periodically ensures that software has no vulnerabilities to the existing threats. The main objective of a software code review is to identify vulnerabilities and fix them before they become known to cybercriminals. 

3) Focus on data security throughout the development process

Data security cannot be ignored in any of the steps in creating security software or secure software. Therefore, focus on the creation of standards and the implementation of development methodologies that have security as one of the bases. This will give security software developers more solid bases to avoid problems caused by fragile source code.

If necessary, a security software developer should opt for acquiring additional skills via online certifications and training available at QuickStart. Additional skills help security software developers ensure that none of their actions can compromise the reliability of software. However, to develop a completely secure software it is the responsibility of a security software developer to ensure that all other teams involved in the software development process are aligned and know how to use a safer and more robust strategy. This is how security software developers can ensure that the software they are developing is absolutely safe, secure, user-friendly and fully functional.

4) Use defensive programming techniques

Defensive programming techniques aim to reduce the vulnerability of software and ensures its security and stability. Such techniques should be used by security software developers from the early stages of the software development till the completion. These preventive measures ensure that even if software is being attacked by someone, its defense mechanism should activate and perform programmed preventive measures.

5) Create incident response plans

Response plans serve to address incidents that occur after software implementation, such as bugs and failures. A security software developer should plan them in advance and be ready to use them when problems are detected. This helps security software developers in ensuring that any bug that might appear after the implementation can be fixed and the software’s optimum security can be ensured.

6) Have encrypted data transfer and storage methods

The use of the internet to enhance a software’s functionality has become a constant in the software development process. In the contemporary business environment, it is not enough to have software that works on a local network and does not have the capability to share or extract information using web servers and web services. Therefore, it has become imperative for security software developers to create software that does not just work locally but also exchange data with servers and web services to deliver richer, more innovative features to users.

However, the major roadblock in this process is the fear of cyber-threats and hacking. Employers in today’s business environment need software that ensures secure information transfer on local and online servers. End-to-end encryption, for example, prevents internal information from being exposed even if the connection is compromised. Thus, online integration will not create new vulnerabilities for the software and it will remain secure.

For locally stored data, information security should also be a concern. It is important that encryption is used to prevent unauthorized access to data. It should be implemented alongside feature tracking and monitoring features, giving the user maximum control over their files.

Moreover, when transferring data from a local server to the cloud, a security software developer must encrypt them using the latest encryption tools available to them. This can be done by enlisting the help of a cryptographer. In storage, you need to use highly trusted local and cloud servers. The primary responsibility of a security software developer is to develop security software or to ensure that software for common use is completely safe and secure. Therefore, data transfer methods from one server to another should be absolutely secure.

7) Perform vulnerability testing on your software

At the end of each software development phase, a security software developer’s source code should be reviewed for vulnerabilities that could compromise user security. This measure should include automated and manual testing tools, thus preventing any vulnerability from being ignored.

With well-structured testing processes, a business can minimize the number of vulnerabilities in the software that will be distributed to the user. And once the system is delivered, the vulnerability tracking should continue. This is how security software developers can ensure that their applications are completely secure. Moreover, your employer will be able to maintain a routine of updates with continuous security corrections, avoiding that problems are perpetuated in the medium and long term.

These are just some of the countless measures to be taken by every professional who wishes to become a security software developer and make a career in the field. If a security software developer remains alert to any possible threats that may arise during the development phase or after the implementation and adopts the best security practices, such a person will certainly be able to develop a highly secure corporate system that fulfills its primary function: to assist companies in their activities in a safe  and secure manner.

Educational Requirements

Completing a formal education is the first step to become a security software developer. To become a security software developer you should have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or relevant fields including mathematics, computer engineering, network technology, software engineering etc. However, if you wish to become a security software developer, you may select traditional and non-traditional training programs to obtain the education needed to pursue entry-level positions. Some options include:

Technical graduation

Although employers generally prefer candidates with a higher education diploma, a technical degree can open the door to entry-level jobs in the field. However, to be considered you for a security software developer job you need to prove your technical prowess in the field, which can only be acquired by completing pieces of IT training and courses from reputed online institutions like QuickStart. If you are not sure where to start, browse our library to find out which certification works for you. The foundation courses would be a good start to learn the basics of programming languages used in the software development process and understand the importance of software security.

Higher education

A bachelor's degree in computer science, or a related field, is the traditional minimum degree preferred by employers. Higher education programs expose students to a broader curriculum that provides a foundation in mathematics and computer science. To develop a comprehensive understanding of programming, software architecture, software security and software testing you need to obtain a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in the fields mentioned above. 

Work Experience

Employers usually consider profiles of individuals for security software developers who have at least 5 years of experience in the field. This requirement is for a mid-level position in any organization. However, if you wish to become a security software developer right after graduation, then you may be required to develop security tools at the beginning and not the software. This is because one cannot become a security software developer until having acquired the necessary skills by spending three or more years as a developer or a software tester/ auditor.

In your early years as a software developer, you need to acquire as much experience and knowledge about security software developer as possible. Moreover, you should also attend relevant workshops and should obtain online certifications about security software development.

Hard Skills

Excellent command over various programming languages is mandatory hard skills that you have to have. Employers typically will expect a person applying for the position of a security software developer to have expertise in:

• C, C++, C#, PHP, Java, PERL, ASM,
• Cloud computing
• Hypervisors
• IP security
• Python Experience in HTML/CSS
• Relational databases
• TCP/IP-based network communications
• Operating systems including Windows, UNIX, and Linux
• XML/Web Services, AJAX

Soft Skills

A security software developer needs to have excellent communication skills. The person should be comfortable in coordinating with various departments, talking to different stakeholders, and documenting every step of the software development.

Moreover, excellent analytical skills along with problem-solving attitude are two important things that employers look into potential candidates. Finally, the last but one of the most important soft skills a security software developer should have is time management.

Certifications for Security Software Developers

As we have mentioned throughout the article that if you wish to become a security software developer, you should also obtain additional certifications. Here’s a list of certifications that can help you land your dream job.

• Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional by CSSLP
• EC-Council Certified Secure Programmer by ECSP
• GIAC Certified Web Application Defender by GWEB
• GIAC Secure Software Programmer-Java by GSSP-JAVA
• OWASP: Threats Fundamentals by QuickStart

Earning Potential of Security Software Developers

The salary of security software developers depends on the organization they are working for, job role, their total experience, education, and expertise. However, it is a known fact that some companies pay higher salaries than other, but Payscale has calculated that the median salary of a software developer is somewhere around $69,586. This figure includes each and every monetary benefit that a security software developer may earn in a year including overtime pay, bonuses, profit sharing etc.

Since the responsibilities on the shoulders of security software developers are higher, therefore they generally get paid a bit higher than the software developers. If you do a comparison on Indeed (an employment-related search engine) then you’ll find that the most popular range of security software developers is $90,000 - $100,000 per annum.

Sample Resume for a Security Software Developer

Jane Doe - Security Software Developer

SUMMARY

An expert software developer working on security software across the technology stack and functional teams at XYZ Inc. Having expertise in Java, C, C++, C#, PHP, and Python among others, I mostly write codes in Python these days and have an excellent command over vulnerability testing, reviewing code gaps, and creating 100% safe, secure, and stable software.

EDUCATION

University of California

Bachelor’s in Computer Science                                                                                 05/2010 – 09/2014

University of Berkley

Master’s in Computer Science                                                                                    01/2016 – 09/2018 

CERTIFICATIONS

• 1. EC-Council Certified Secure Programmer by ECSP
• GIAC Certified Web Application Defender by GWEB

SKILLS

• C, C++, C#, PHP, Java, PERL, ASM,
• IP security
• Cloud computing

REFERENCES

Common Security Software Developer Interview Questions

• What is risk, vulnerability, and threat to you? How do you define these terms in the context of security software development?
• Which coding languages do you know?
• How would you ensure absolute security while developing software?
• What’s the importance of documenting the entire development process?
• What is XSS, how will you mitigate it?

You may have to answer these questions and many other similar ones to get the job. However, the nature of interview questions will vary depending on the role you are applying for. One thing you need to ensure is that you give all the answers correct and for it you have to prepare for the interview beforehand. Moreover, it is not easy to land a job interview and you may need to grab the attention of the recruiter. One of the best ways to do it is by getting additional certifications related to security software development. To find the best and comprehensive courses, visit QuickStart.