Application Security: Best Practices for Protecting Your Software 

It might seem that we have a powerful arsenal to monitor threats and detect vulnerabilities in the world of current technology. But according to the Fortinet report on app security in 2024, 53% of respondents lack confidence in their app safety and doubt the strategy implemented to protect their system. Learn the best practices to protect your software. 

What is Application Security and why is it Important? 

According to CrowdStrike, 70% of critical issues require more than 12 hours to resolve. All of this makes it imperative that the importance of software security has an important place in an app development and maintenance strategy.  

Application security (appsec) can be defined as using best security practices and procedures and implementing software and hardware to protect a system against cyber threats. In today’s world, not only are more and more new applications being developed, but teams are more frequently implementing important updates and patches. This creates major challenges in the context of existing solutions.  

Security Risks in Application Development 

Data breaches 

Any unauthorized access to data can be considered as a data breach. These often result from poor authorization or system outdatedness, allowing cybercriminals to access sensitive information. 

Malware 

Malicious software has one goal: to disrupt systems. Often, such software blocks access to data, allowing hackers to collect a ransom – in this case, we are talking about ransomware such as 2017’s WannaCry, which affected hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. 

API vulnerabilities 

It is not only the applications themselves that are being targeted. The connections enabling system integration are also a cause for concern. Security experts point out that if these are not properly secured, they can give unauthorized people access to the system. 

Unpatched vulnerabilities 

According to the BankInfoSecurity website, 60% of all cyberattacks relate to unpatched vulnerabilities. If companies organize priorities inappropriately, e.g. neglecting testing or not allocating finances to keep them up to date, such systems become targets for attacks and a source of problems.  

SQL injections  

This is one of the most well-known attack techniques, which involves ‘injecting’ malicious query code into a database and gaining access to information. 

XSS (Cross-site scripting) 

This form of attacking sites is ranked 3rd on the OWASP Top 10 list. XSS relies on the attacker having the ability to execute any script code in the browser.  

Phishing attacks  

Attacks of this type involve impersonating a trusted source (strong web, email, bank login page), encouraging the victim to reveal their login details or perform certain actions. Powerful IT players such as Facebook and Google have fallen victim to this type of attack, costing them more than $100 million. 

Authorization issues 

Last but not least, insufficient authorization policies related to login and session security, weak passwords, or the human factor – are still very common causes of application security problems.  

What are the Best Practices for Application Security?

Implementing application security is crucial for safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining user trust. One of the best practices is to conduct regular security assessments and vulnerability testing. This ensures that potential weaknesses are identified and addressed before they can be exploited by malicious actors. 

Secure Development Lifecycle 

Another essential aspect of application security is to adopt a secure coding standard. Developers should be trained in secure development practices, and code reviews should focus on identifying and fixing security flaws early in the development lifecycle. This proactive approach is key to establishing robust security measures. 

Application Security Best Practices Overview 

Implementing a robust application security strategy is essential for organizations to safeguard their software and data against potential vulnerabilities. By adhering to recognized security standards and best practices, businesses can effectively assess and mitigate risks associated with their applications.  

Thanks to understanding application security and being familiar with the latest standards, an organization can reduce the risk of data breaches and the significant costs associated with them. The most important best practices include:  

1. Shift left approach – implementing security standards as early as possible. 
2. Continuous monitoring with DevOps monitoring tools 
3. Implementing OWASP standards 

Implementing Application Security Controls 

With increasing cyberattacks and digital threats, implementing data security controls is becoming even more important. Both the European Union and the US have undertaken measures to protect data. These are: respectively, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).  

Companies that are uncertain about data safety should consider running security controls assessment, which includes determining target systems and applications and performing security vulnerabilities scanning. 

• Physical security controls (physical access control devices and surveillance equipment). 
• Digital security controls (passwords, authentication methods, firewalls, and antivirus software). 
• Cybersecurity controls (designed to prevent attacks targeting data). 
• Security controls related to cloud (undertaken by cloud security team, related to taking advantage of cloud services providers). 

Also read: Cloud native applications: what you need to know 

What Types of Application Security Tools are Available?

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) 

Static Application Security Testing tools are utilized to identify code vulnerabilities by reviewing and assessing the source files of applications. They help to uncover input validation issues, mathematical mistakes, syntax errors, and insecure or invalid references. 

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) 

DAST pinpoints errors associated with the environment or runtime that could indicate security weaknesses. It conducts extensive scans that mock unforeseen security breaches. This allows to gain insights into how application reacts. Dynamic Application Security Testing detects problems related e.g. to data injections, memory leakages,  

Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) 

IAST blends techniques used by both DAST and SAST to detect a wider range of vulnerabilities. Such tools access all application components and code to perform thorough analysis of security issues causes.  

Also read: AI in software development  

How to Address the Challenges of Modern Application Security in 2025 and Beyond?

Addressing knowledge gaps among programmers  

With today’s solutions, it is increasingly important for application developers to know how to secure application code and be familiar with best practices (for example, by becoming familiar with OWASP). Nowadays, not only do security professionals play a vital role in implementing secure coding practices.  

See the webinar led by our cybersecurity expert:  

From compliance to confidence: implementing OWASP ASVS 

Addressing the knowledge gap among programmers and raising awareness among them is crucial for enhancing overall software quality and security since many developers focus primarily on writing application code without a thorough understanding of the range of security implications involved. 

Developing a Comprehensive Security Posture 

Security posture means the entirety of elements assuring cyber strength and resilience. This is how you keep your digital infrastructure secure, taking care of such aspects as risk management, incident response, compliance and governance standards, and security controls management.  

How Does a Safety Posture Assessment Help with Application Security? 

It is worthwhile to run a security posture assessment. Such an evaluation will allow you to assess the effectiveness of your security measures and determine areas for improvement. Improving your security posture should be perceived as an ongoing process since the cyberthreat landscape changes. Working out policies and procedures, raising awareness among employees, and taking advantage of modern technology solutions, like AI and automation, allows you to create a safe environment. 

Managing Security Threats in Cloud-Native Applications 

Even 95% of companies have concerns related to cloud security. Cloud-native apps are secure by design. This means that security solutions for such apps are created in the development phase with DevSecOps approach. However, this does not mean that they do not involve certain challenges. Securing cloud-native apps calls for employing a set of dedicated tools and practices.  

What are the Latest Application Security Trends?

In 2025, application security remains a critical focus for organizations aiming to protect their applications. Typically, companies take advantage of the integration of penetration testing and mobile application security testing to identify application vulnerabilities. Also, as threats increase, web application firewalls are being employed to enhance security posture management in protecting web apps. Last but not least, software composition analysis (SCA) tools are used for managing third-party components and any associated risks. 

AI for coding trends to bridge the knowledge gap  

Here are a couple of key facts to consider in terms of application protection. The need to deliver software quickly with the help of AI for coding tools increases the focus on app safety solutions and security programs. Gartner predicts that by 2028, the adoption of GenAI tools will minimize the cybersecurity skills gap, eliminating the need for specialised education from 50% of entry-level cybersecurity roles.

 [ Check out our e-book: AI for coding – code faster, build smarter // LINK do landing page ]  

• According to Cloudflare sources – State of Application Security in 2024. organizations used an average of 47 third-party scripts. These scripts, if not maintained properly, can pose security risks 
• DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks remain #1 in terms of compromising web application security. The rising speed and number of these types of attacks indicate the role of botnets and increased bot traffic. Real-time threat monitoring with DevSecOps tools is one of the recommended measures to prevent DDoS attacks.  
   
  Resource: Cloudflare State of Application Security 2024 

How Does Application Security Work Throughout the Development Process?

 “By 2027, 30% of cybersecurity functions will redesign application security to be consumed directly by non-cyber experts and owned by application owners”, Gartner predicts. This means that companies need to equip expert teams with the right dose of knowledge to safely manage product development throughout the software development lifecycle.  

Incorporating Security Measures Early in Development 

To minimize application security risks and protect application data, development teams take steps at the earliest possible stage of software development. An approach known as shift left allows security steps to be taken as early as the planning and development stage. As a result, there is no need to wait until the end of implementation to catch and correct critical security errors. 

Also read: Why is application testing important?  

Why is application security important: summary  

Companies that want to successfully avoid security issues in their application software must not only be aware of the risks but also keep up-to-date with the tools used to counteract them. The strategy adopted will depend on the application and the project.  

If you want to improve the security of your application and use tools and techniques, do not be afraid to invest in the competence of your specialists or start working with an external technology partner. While the process of developing in-house competence is important, the second solution allows you to produce tangible results relatively quickly, also to the benefit of your internal teams.