Why Web and App Developers Need Cybersecurity Skills in 2024

July 4, 2024

Cybersecurity skills are relevant skills in this new era, professional or not.

Joseph Chisom Ofonagoro

Software Dev

The average human spends approximately 4 hours, 37 minutes on a daily average on their phones. What are they interacting with? Apps and websites of course, and with these usage, they are giving off data to these platforms. Such data needs to be protected so as not to get into unauthorized hands and the onus lies in the hands of the developers of these softwares.

Apps and websites have become an essential part of our daily lives. We rely on them for everything from online banking and shopping to communication and entertainment. However, with this increased reliance comes a growing concern: the security of these applications and the data in them.

Virtually every security incident affects either of these two software, causing loss of money, data and even reputation. Since cyber security professionals can’t necessarily infuse themselves into every aspect of software security, it is therefore ideal that developers themselves do their part while the security guys do theirs.

Some Attacks That Affects Apps and Websites

• SQL injection attacks
• DoS
• DDoS
• Cross-Site Scripting
• Phishing

Small and large business, Not for profit organizations and even individuals all have sites and apps which means that there is an inexhaustible target for attackers using any of these methods, but with the right knowledge and implementation, developers can contribute to keeping the cyber sphere safer by not just building software, but by building reliable secure software.

Why Web and App Developers Need to Be Security Champions

Web and app developers play a critical role in safeguarding the digital world. By understanding and implementing secure coding practices, they can significantly reduce the number of vulnerabilities attackers can exploit.

• Building Secure Software: Developers equipped with cybersecurity knowledge can write code that is inherently more resistant to attacks. This involves practices like input validation (ensuring user input conforms to expected formats) and data sanitization (removing potentially malicious code from user inputs) to prevent vulnerabilities like SQL injection and XSS. This also extends to using standard coding practices, writing clean readable codes that can be easily maintained and sticking to more reliable frameworks instead of inventing them which may be non-secure.

• Identifying and Fixing Security Vulnerabilities: Understanding common security threats allows developers to proactively identify and fix vulnerabilities in their own code. Code review practices and security testing methods, where code is scanned for vulnerabilities, become instrumental in this process. Zero day exploits are a big issue in the security field and one way developers can prevent this is to thoroughly test their software before and after deployment.

• Collaboration with Security Teams: With a grasp of cybersecurity principles, developers can effectively collaborate with security teams. This fosters a more robust security posture, where developers write secure code and security teams can identify and address any remaining potential vulnerabilities found in their code.

How to Develop Your Security Skillset as a Developer

Fun thing is that you don’t necessarily need to be a pro in the field to be able to implement secure coding techniques in your development. A bird’s eye view of security concepts especially with the vulnerabilities I highlighted above will aid you tremendously in this.

There are numerous valuable resources available for web and app developers to bolster their cybersecurity skillset:

• Online Courses and Tutorials: Platforms like the OWASP Web Security Academy offer comprehensive courses specifically designed to educate developers on web application security best practices.

• Security Frameworks and Libraries: Depending on the language you code in, there are different libraries and frameworks focused on security, you can familiarize yourself with them. You can also utilize popular security frameworks like OWASP libraries and secure coding libraries that provide developers with tools and techniques to write secure code from the ground up. Utilizing these resources can significantly streamline the secure coding process.

• Staying Updated on Web and App Security Threats: The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving. Developers can stay ahead of the curve by following reputable web security blogs and vulnerability databases like the National Vulnerability Database.

Attending security conferences and workshops is another excellent way to stay informed about the latest threats and best practices, although many developers feel its for just the security guys, but it can also benefit them too.

Conclusion: A Secure Future for Web and Apps

By integrating cybersecurity skills into their development toolkit, web and app developers can play a vital role in building a more secure digital environment. This not only benefits businesses by protecting sensitive data and reducing the risk of breaches, but also fosters trust with users who rely on these applications every day. Take the first step towards becoming a cybersecurity champion for the web – start building your cybersecurity knowledge base today.