In the age of technology, creating good software isn’t simply about writing code, it’s about making it perfect from the beginning. No matter if you’re a founder of a company or overseeing an SaaS product with a clear policy for software development lifecycle policy assists your team to keep it organized, secure, and continuous.
In this article, we’ll explain the purpose of this policy and why it’s important, and how to put it into place one that will benefit your company. We’ll also direct you to useful templates, tools, and guidelines to help you get up and running quickly.
Software Development Life Cycle Policy PDF: Why Documentation Matters
Imagine you’re building the structure. Do you begin with no architect’s plan? Perhaps not. The development of software without a clear SDLC policy is equally dangerous.
This is why the need to have the Software Development Life Cycle Policy document in the PDF format is crucial. It provides a common playbook that developers, QA testers, as well as other stakeholders can use at any time.
Benefits of Documenting the Software Development Life Cycle Policy
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Clear development and security expectations
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Helps team members who are new to the team learn quickly
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Facilitates smoother audits and reviews of compliance.
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Reducing the chance of errors and unplanned Rework
Tip: You can control the version of your PDF policy to track changes over time and ensure the same content across teams.
Software Development Life Cycle Policy Template: Build Your Fast
If you’re beginning from scratch using a template for the Software Development Life Cycle Policy, the template could make your life easier. These templates are a pre-built template that incorporates the best practices and compliance terminology.
What Should Be in Your SDLC Policy Template?
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Scope and purpose: What is the policy governing, and what does it cover?
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development phase: Determine how you will move from the planning phase to production.
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Security Integration – Create security checkpoints on the stages.
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The Roles and responsibilities clearly define who is responsible for what.
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Change Management – Define how updates are analyzed and ratified.
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Training • Require continuous training for the team in the safe practice of development.
Get the program for a free template for the development life cycle to start fast.
The SDLC Policy Template from NIST, Aligning Federal and Industry Standards
For sectors like finance, healthcare, or the government sector, aligning with trusted standards like the NIST standard is vital. It is the NIST Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) outlines best methods for creating robust and secure software.
Utilizing a Template for SDLC policies from NIST makes sure that your software complies with U.S. federal cybersecurity guidelines and establishes confidence with your customers.
Core Elements Based on NIST
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Secure software design principles
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Protocols to test for vulnerability
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Audit tracks and logs of traceability
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Third-party component verification and documentation
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Incident response plans
Are you looking to go that extra mile? Make use of this NIST-based checklist for policies to ensure your policy complies with modern standards.
OWASP in Software Development Life Cycle Policy: Building Security Into Every Line of Code
Security breaches don’t begin at the point where they’re finished -they usually start with code that was not secure and that was written months before. This is the reason why integrating the OWASP guidelines into your SDLC is an obvious choice.
The Top 10 OWASP Security Flaws is an overview of the most frequently encountered (and potentially dangerous) security flaws that can be found in web-based applications.
How to bake the OWASP into your SDLC:
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Required Phase: Be prepared to answer security questions starting from day one.
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Design Phase:e Utilize Secure Design Principles to limit the number of attack points.
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Development Phase: Follow OWASP Secure Coding Practices.
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Testing Phase: Use automated scanning tools like OWASP ZAP.
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The Deployment phase: Lock down default configurations and rights.
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Maintenance phase: Check for any new vulnerabilities and patch them accordingly.
Security is a responsibility for everyone, not just the team responsible for infosec.
Step-by-Step Breakdown: How the SDLC Policy Works in Real Life
Here’s a detailed explanation of the way a software development life-cycle policy is implemented from beginning to end:
1. Requirements Analysis
Start by collecting customer stories, business needs, and compliance goals. Request stakeholders to define what features are needed and what features are not required for security or performance concerns.
2. Design
Make technical diagrams, architectural sketches, as well as data flow diagrams. In this phase, you must also determine the most risky features and then apply risk modeling.
3. Development
Developers start coding the application by using security-grade code standards and best practices. Reviews from peers and static analysis tools should be a part of the procedure.
4. Testing
This covers all aspects of unit tests to penetration tests. Security-specific checks must be in line by the OWASP Top 10 list..
5. Deployment
Before you release to production, make sure that your deployment process is secure. Make use of DevSecOps pipelines as well as environment-specific configs and automated rollback capabilities.
6. Maintenance
Monitoring the software with tools such as SIEM. Perform regular patching and maintain audit logs.
Real-Life Story: Why This Policy Matters
A SaaS company we helped with skipping formal SDLC procedures to “move faster.” Months afterward, a flaw with their billing system caused double billing for a number of customers. The company was able to recover more than $60,000 in refunds as well as customer losses because they didn’t have proper testing and peer review in their SDLC.
They haven’t suffered any major issues after implementing a formal Software Development Life Cycle Policy.
Conclusion: Why You Need a Software Development Life Cycle Policy
To put it in simple terms, it’s clear that having a policy for software development lifecycle policy isn’t an option any longer. It’s vital. When it comes to protecting the data of your customers and complying with regulatory requirements, or creating software that will last and last, a solid policy is the key to long-term success.
At Plaxotech, we help teams create secure, reliable, and efficient software that is governed by standards like OWASP, NIST, and ISO 27001. If you choose to partner in partnership with us, you’re selecting confidence, conformity, and high-quality.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
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A life-cycle of software development policy assists teams in creating solid and secure software from scratch.
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Utilize the Software development policy PDF to make clear documents.
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Begin by establishing the life cycle for software development templates for policies to cut down on time.
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Follow the SDLC policy template and use the SDLC policy template to comply with NIST standards to ensure security and conformity.
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Integrate the OWASP throughout the process to avoid weaknesses.
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Training your team, testing frequently, and then reviewing the policy each year.
- For startups, especially those outsourcing software development, having a clear software development life cycle policy helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures the final product meets security and quality standards.
