Secure Engineering Principles & Planning

Introduction

Secure engineering is designing and developing systems with security as a fundamental aspect. This document provides guidelines for secure engineering principles and planning for the ecoPortal SaaS platform.

Secure Engineering Principles:

1. Secure by design: Security should be considered from the beginning of the design process. Security should not be an afterthought but an integral part of the design process.

2. Least privilege: Each system component should have the minimum permissions required to perform its function. This reduces the attack surface and limits the impact of a potential security breach.

3. Defense in depth: A layered approach to security is essential. This means implementing multiple layers of security controls, such as firewalls, access controls, and intrusion detection systems.

4. Fail-safe defaults: The system should be designed with secure defaults. If a failure or misconfiguration occurs, the system should fail safely and securely.

5. Auditability: The system should be designed with audibility in mind. This means that all actions should be logged and tracked so that any security breaches can be traced and investigated.

6. Continual improvement: Security is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. The system should be designed to allow for continual improvement and updates to address new threats and vulnerabilities.

7. Secure coding practices: Developers should be trained in secure coding practices, and the system should be designed to support these practices. This includes input validation, error handling, and other security controls.

Secure Engineering Planning:

1. Define security requirements: Security requirements must be defined and documented at the beginning of the system development life cycle. Security requirements must include the system's confidentiality, integrity, availability, and the identification and management of system risks.

2. Conduct a security risk assessment: A security risk assessment must be conducted to identify and assess the risks to the system’s assets, including the data it stores and processes and the people who use it.

3. Develop a security plan: A security plan must be developed to address the risks identified in the security risk assessment. The security plan must include the application of appropriate security controls, the use of security metrics, and the establishment of security policies and procedures.

4. Implement security controls: Security controls must be implemented based on the security plan. Security controls must include technical, administrative, and physical controls.

5. Test security controls: Security controls must be tested to ensure they work effectively and efficiently. Testing must include penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and security audits.

6. Monitor and maintain security: The system's security must be monitored and maintained continuously. Security monitoring must include the use of security metrics and the review of security logs.