Software Security Audit: Process & Best Practices

With the enhancement of digital systems, software security audit plays a significant role in preventing the leakage of information and avoiding hefty fines. In mid-2024, around 22,254 CVEs were noted, which is 30% higher than that of 2023. It is thus important to scan software for vulnerabilities or misconfigurations that can be exploited to facilitate such a surge. In this guide, we will discuss what auditing is, why it is important, and how to audit software for security issues in a systematic manner.

We will start with the meaning of software security audits and demonstrate the dangers that a defective system can present. Then, we will briefly discuss the goals of the audit, the types of audits, and the weaknesses that may be identified during an audit. We will also be explaining how to write the software security audit report, the general steps, and the use of cyber security audit software as well as network security audit software.

Last but not least, the article will include an analysis of the best practices and the issues that may arise in this process, as well as the steps that can be taken to establish a positive audit culture.

What is a Software Security Audit?

Software security audit can be described as a systematic analysis of software applications, libraries, and related infrastructure in order to identify security weaknesses and compliance with set norms. In fact, 83% of the applications that are scanned for the first time are likely to have one or more security vulnerabilities. The audit can focus on the source code, observe the behavior of the code during runtime, and verify compliance with best practices. Sometimes, the audit goes even further and focuses on such aspects as deployment pipelines and security settings.

Using an audit, organizations can detect misconfigurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, and even potentially malicious code. This final step guarantees that the final product meets the user requirements for safety and complies with regulations, hence strengthening the security of the organization.

Why Is a Software Security Audit Important?

Since the early-stage Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is now being performed in 37% more organizations to counter open-source component risks, auditing from the first day is crucial. However, apart from searching for weaknesses, a software security audit strengthens the credibility of the stakeholders, demonstrates adherence to the law, and saves on data leakage expenses.

In the following section, we explain why auditing is so crucial to contemporary software development cycles:

1. Proactive Risk Management: Catching flaws early is important so that they do not turn into exploited vulnerabilities. As hackers become more advanced, software continues to be an area of focus, which is why it is crucial to conduct a preemptive audit. The incorporation of a software security audit checklist in development serves to minimize the incidences of having to patch at zero hours.
2. Regulatory & Compliance Adherence: Organizations that fall under HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or GDPR need to have some kind of assurance that systems meet the necessary security requirements. A software security audit certification can ensure that these standards are complied with. It is a way of providing authorities evidence of the efforts made by an organization in their compliance.
3. Reputation & Customer Trust: The leakage of consumer data can be very damaging to customer relations and brand reputation. Regular audits provide confidence to the clients that data handling and application security are well under check. This peace of mind fosters long-term relationships, even in high-risk industries like finance or healthcare.
4. Integration with Development Workflows: Audits are not an afterthought and integrating them into DevOps or agile development provides greater assurance to the code from concept. It is possible to have tools such as network security audit software or automated scanners to run in the CI environment. This ensures that each feature push is checked and analyzed very carefully.
5. Reduced Post-Release Costs: It is much more costly to repair a bug that has progressed to the production level. Teams are not forced to patch problems only when they occur because an audit can discover weaknesses before they become problems. The advantage is that the overall number of incidents that require some kind of response is reduced, as is the time spent on it to restore essential systems.

Key Objectives of a Software Security Audit

Security assessment does not only identify coding vulnerabilities. It is intended to ensure that each aspect of the application: user identification, database connectivity, and customization – complies with the best standards of security.

There are five primary objectives of software security audit engagement, which guarantee a strong defense line as follows:

1. Uncover Potential Vulnerabilities: The objective of software security audits is not just to search for known CVEs, but also for logic flaws or design oversights. In this way, auditors are able to identify the infiltration paths by analyzing how the data moves across the modules. The final software security audit checklist usually points out the unusual handling of errors or lack of protection of an endpoint.
2. Validate Compliance Requirements: Assessments confirm that applications are compliant with standards such as ISO 27001 or HIPAA. Whether it is the type of encryption that needs to be used to protect data or how long data needs to be stored, every compliance regulation must be followed by the letter. A well-documented audit ensures that the legal department is convinced that no shortcuts were taken to arrive at the findings, thus avoiding legal implications.
3. Measure Existing Security Posture: Sometimes, organizations commission audits to gauge their general defense maturity. The process results in a software security audit report that assigns a readiness level to each domain, such as patching cycles or incident response. These insights assist leaders in identifying areas that require improvement, hence assisting in determining the right budget to allocate toward the improvement.
4. Assess Configuration & Deployment Practices: Secure code can also be breached through misconfigured servers or with open ports. Specifically, audits specify how environment variables, SSL/TLS certificates, or container images are handled. This synergy focuses on the ‘last mile’ of security, where the best practices are implemented even at the production stage.
5. Recommend Mitigation Steps: However, for an audit to be useful, teams should be able to know how to address the noted problems. Auditors usually present recommendations and the risk assessments of the identified issues. Timing of the implementation of these steps may vary, but once integrated, they enhance the security of software and prepare systems for any new threats that may arise in the future.

Types of Software Security Audits

Not all security audits are the same – some are focused on certain aspects, while others are general security audits. An appreciation of these different types helps to avoid a mismatch between the organization’s needs and the extent of the assessment.

In the following sections, we describe different methods in the software security audit frameworks:

1. Code Review-Based Audit: Here, security specialists perform manual or automated code reviews to identify logical mistakes or unsanitized inputs. They look for similar code patterns to what is typical of injection vulnerabilities. This “white-box” approach offers high transparency of how data is processed. It is usually used alongside static analysis solutions to enhance the speed of wide-sweeping scanning.
2. Penetration Testing & Ethical Hacking: In ‘black-box’ or ‘gray-box’ testing approaches, testers interact with the software from the outside while emulating the roles of malicious hackers. They attempt to avoid getting authorization or seek open ports, which shows real-world infiltration techniques. This perspective addresses some of the concerns that code scans may not be able to detect. Combined with the final software security audit certification, it demonstrates the ability to withstand real attack conditions.
3. Architecture & Design Review: Even if it is not code, the whole structure of the system, for example, how microservices communicate or how the load balancer is configured, comes under the lens. Auditors check the data flow of each component and also verify the authentication boundaries. It does this to prevent the high-level design from allowing large-scale infiltration. It is also important for compliance because data classification and encryption should not be lost from one tier to another.
4. Configuration & Infrastructure Audit: Occasionally, a specialized check can check environments, containers, or cloud policies of settings or orchestrations. Such tools as network security audit software assist in ensuring that there are no open ports that are not supposed to be open. It dovetails with the code review strategy to provide a stable platform for development. Most of the time, it is not the code that is bad, but the servers that are configured incorrectly or the default passwords that are set.
5. Compliance-Focused Audit: Some industries, such as the finance industry or the healthcare industry, require audits to be made for compliance with PCI-DSS or HIPAA, respectively. Auditors map each of the software functions to a standard to support data confidentiality. This can help to do re-certification or even solve legal issues with the help of software security audit reports. Usually, such rules define the very structure of the development process based on secure, regulated procedures.

Common Security Risks Identified in Audits

When conducted comprehensively, a software security audit reveals a range of risks. These could be as basic as individual errors to even structural issues.

This section examines five common security weaknesses that audits usually uncover, which illustrates why the checks are necessary.

1. Injection Attacks: SQL injection and similar attacks are still considered the most dangerous type of attack. Untouched inputs allow users to enter any query or command into forms, APIs, or cookies. The resulting infiltration can steal user data or modify databases in their entirety. The solution often entails input validation and parameterization of the statements that are to be executed.
2. Cross-Site Scripting: If user input is not properly escaped in a web application, it is possible to execute any JavaScript code in the target users’ browsers. This results in unauthorized session hijacking, data theft, or even user impersonation. Scanning form fields and sanitizing dynamic content are some of the crucial elements of a sound software security audit checklist. When Content Security Policy is integrated, the risk is brought down to the bare minimum.
3. Unsecured Endpoints & APIs: APIs often lack proper authentication or encryption, which means the attackers can obtain data or privileges. There are voids if some of the endpoints use outdated tokens or partial validations. This domain combines the application of code analysis with the result of audit software scans of the network, showing possible open doors.
4. Inadequate Access Controls: The lack of clear roles means that an individual can access resources that he or she is not supposed to access or view information that he or she is not supposed to view. Audits verify that only necessary privileges are assigned in each role, and the concept of least privilege is maintained. Some of the mistakes are, for instance, granting entire system admin rights to normal accounts or leaving admin consoles unprotected. This helps in avoiding major losses if an account has been hacked.
5. Outdated Libraries & Dependencies: Using unpatched open-source modules or frameworks can lead to the introduction of known CVEs in an otherwise perfectly valid code. This is the reason why many organizations use scanning tools or have a software security audit certification. By frequently updating, the teams fix some of the existing vulnerabilities that hackers often use.

Components of Software Security Audit Report

While a detailed report of the software security audit presents the results of the audit to the concerned parties, it provides technical information as well as practical recommendations. This document not only lists issues but also describes fixes for them and provides compliance information.

The following are five sections that can be common in these reports:

1. Executive Summary: An introduction that states the major findings and the purpose of the audit. It should also incorporate the rating of the severity of the vulnerabilities and the major concerns. This portion enables leadership to understand the matters of concern without getting involved in technicalities. Conclusions by authors are frequently related to business risk or the potential legal implications of the study.
2. Scope & Methodology: In this case, auditors explain the systems they covered, testing scope, and scanning methods. They also indicate whether it was white-box or black-box, the number of endpoints tested among other factors. That helps avoid any confusion as to who is in command or who is responsible for what area. Here, comprehensiveness determines the accuracy of the overall software security audit checklist alignment.
3. Detailed Findings & Analysis: This core section lists each of the vulnerabilities, their classification (high, medium, or low), and the potential exploit. Auditors also present proofs, such as snippet codes or screenshots. The synergy assists the developers in duplicating issues effectively. Ideally, each vulnerability should have a link to CVEs or other security standards and guidelines.
4. Recommendations & Remediation Steps: Using the above-discussed problems, the report then indicates how they can be solved. They may vary from simple things, such as patch updates to re-coding of validation logic or re-configuring of servers. This portion reaffirms the direction by referring to other guidelines, such as best practices or compliance norms. Clear instructions help teams to be in a position to correct each of the flaws within the shortest time.
5. Appendices & Reference Data: Last of all, references, test tool output, or compliance cross-tabulations are annexed. Some audits provide logs for further triage or for further validation at a later time. Here, they also put the summaries of configuration checks or architectural diagrams. This detail guarantees that the software security audit report is clear and easily repeatable.

Software Security Audit Process: Step-by-Step Guide

Carrying out a systematic software security audit requires following a certain set of steps. Each stage is different depending on the scope and environment, but every step guarantees that no weaknesses are missed.

The following is a five-step audit plan, which describes the general process of an auditing mission, starting from the planning phase and ending with the closeout phase:

1. Scoping & Planning: The audit team defines scope: which applications, modules, or servers will be audited. They collect architectural diagrams, the users and roles, and compliance measures. This planning ensures that the resources and the time set in planning are relevant to the real needs of the organization. Also, it maintains the visibility of the entire process to all the stakeholders.
2. Data Collection & Reconnaissance: Auditors take an inventory of code repositories, libraries, and system configurations or may use a network security audit software. For them, version histories, known CVEs in open-source modules, and environment constraints are critical. This reconnaissance exposes some possible approaches to infiltration or perhaps outdated structures.
3. Technical Analysis & Testing: Here, the features are either scanned tools or manual code reviews that flag such patterns. It is crucial to note that penetration testers might attempt injection or privilege escalations. Dynamic testing focuses on the program’s functioning and may mimic real-life hacking scenarios. This leads to the certification of the software for the final stage of security audit if none of the major vulnerabilities is discovered.
4. Synthesis & Reporting: All the results are compiled into a formal software security audit report which categorizes them based on their risk level. Teams then review the evidence where they confirm the likelihood and the ability of each flaw to be replicated. It also provides recommendations on how to rectify the situation, to make developers aware of how to fix such problems.
5. Follow-Up & Remediation Validation: Developers correct the issues that are found, and then the audit team re-verifies or demands that they show that the changes are functional. This loop makes sure that there is no “false fix” or an exploit that is not fixed remains. The final sign-off ensures confidence that the developed software is resistant to the relevant threats. Sometimes, it is carried out as a continuous auditing or scanning after the audit has been conducted.

Benefits of a Cyber Security Audit Software

Manual inspection of large code or logs may be very time-consuming and often may result in missing some of the information. Specifically, cyber security audit software performs the act of scanning, logging as well as generating consistent results.

Now, let us look at the way such specialized solutions enhance the whole process of audit, including efficiency and reliability.

1. Faster & Consistent Scanning: A human can easily be overwhelmed when checking thousands of lines or dozens of endpoints, while automated tools take a shorter time doing so. This approach makes it impossible for any vulnerability to go unnoticed because of one’s carelessness or negligence. This is due to the high coverage that provides a strong confidence that the whole codebase or environment was covered.
2. Reduced Human Error: Manual code reviews are highly dependent on the knowledge of the developer or the fatigue level of the developer. Tools standardize checks and identify potentially suspicious calls or default configurations. This integration results in continuous, comprehensive scanning, leaving the auditors to concentrate on the more complex and logical types of risks.
3. Easy Integration with CI/CD: In today’s DevOps pipeline, scanning solutions are implemented to run for every commit made. This means that the issues that might be found are discovered before they occur during the large merges. Therefore, to enhance and drive the concept of improvement, stable and frequent updates are necessary.
4. Comprehensive Reporting & Analytics: Most of the solutions provide an automatic security audit report of the software, including the identified weaknesses, suggested fixes, and risk assessment. It allows the security teams to monitor the number of threats that are open, closed, or repeated in their dashboards. This approach promotes the use of data when planning for the development and improvement of the strategy.
5. Scalability for Large Projects: While manual audit is possible for small-scale projects, it becomes almost impossible for enterprise-level codebase or microservices. Automated scanning solutions are horizontal – they scan through several modules or containers. This makes it possible for large teams to have uniformity in security checks across a broad and large architecture plane.

Challenges in Software Security Auditing

Still, software auditing has not always been a perfectly smooth process, even though its benefits are evident. Some of the challenges that are faced by the teams include limited staff expertise, false positives, and many others.

Here are five significant obstacles to timely and accurate software security audit results below:

1. Complexity of Modern Architectures: Microservices, container orchestration, and dynamic serverless functions are used in applications frequently. Every node or ephemeral instance introduces new perspectives for penetration. This sprawl makes the scanning a difficult task and may lead to chances of missing some areas, especially if the environment is only partially mapped.
2. False Positives & Overloaded Alerts: It is common to find that automated scanners classify minor or non-issues as high risk. This flood of dubious alerts can consume a lot of time for the staff while important issues remain unnoticed. The art of tuning is always to achieve high detection precision while keeping the number of alerts reasonable.
3. Resource & Skill Limitations: Security professionals with knowledge of code analysis or penetration testing may be hard to find. Smaller firms may have generalist IT employees who are not very familiar with advanced infiltration techniques. This shortage prevents sound research or the development of a more elaborate software security audit list.
4. Cultural Resistance: In some organizations, dev teams react sensitively to external audits, or they are afraid to be checked on their code. Ops might consider audits as interferences to the smooth running of production. To change these mindsets, there must be an understanding and support from leadership that the program is not an imposition but a positive addition.
5. Rapidly Evolving Threat Landscape: Attackers continually refine techniques, from zero-days to advanced social engineering. If not updated frequently, the scanning tools or frameworks might be outdated in terms of the current infiltration techniques. This makes the environment dynamic and one that needs consistent training, more updates, and preparedness for changes.

Best Practices for Software Security Audit

While every environment is different, there are certain best practices that will guarantee a repeatable and successful audit at every turn. Through integration, transparency, and constant learning, the teams develop a strong culture of code safety.

Here are five tested strategies that can help in creating a good software security audit cycle:

1. Incorporate Audits Early & Often: Shift-left practices incorporate scanning from the initial development stages so that if flaws are found, they are not addressed later on. It is easier to deal with small and frequent audits as compared to large and rare ones. In the long run, such checks bring about standardization of secure coding, thus reducing the possibility of large-scale infiltration.
2. Engage Cross-Functional Collaboration: Security is not an isolated concept that can be implemented separately from the rest of the organization. There are four areas that are involved in the analysis of the system posture and these include development, operations, quality assurance, and compliance. This means that there is a capture of a wider scope, and each discipline brings something new to the table. Collaboration fosters acceptance that auditing protects everyone’s interests.
3. Keep an Up-to-Date Living Software Security Audit Checklist: General checks for each document, where all the necessary information about the session management, cryptography usage and other things can be found. Revise it whenever there are new frameworks or threat types that are identified in the system. This way, the auditors do not forget newly identified vulnerabilities or changes in compliance standards. Real-time checklists are useful to ensure that audits are up-to-date with the current security needs.
4. Validate Fixes & Re-test: Identifying problems is one thing, but ensure that the changes made, such as patches or setting adjustments, actually fix the problems. It is usually a good practice to run selective scans or even repeat some of the manual tests to be sure that no backdoors are left behind. This approach is a cycle that gives assurance that a given defect found cannot occur in the subsequent merges.
5. Document Lessons Learned: To ensure that there is conformity in the changes, conduct post-audit reviews with the intention of explaining the findings. Finally, summaries may point out patterns, for instance, recurring injection flaws or shortcomings of the tools. It can then be followed by the teams to adjust training, processes, or architecture to avoid such repeatings.

How can SentinelOne help?

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Users can investigate managed and unmanaged devices and how they interact with critical data assets. To learn more about how SentinelOne’s products can help, book a free live demo.

Conclusion

A software security audit combines code review, penetration testing, and configuration testing to expose vulnerabilities that are not easily discernible. With more software using third-party components, microservices, and temporary cloud resources, this approach of simply scanning software is not possible. On the contrary, regular audits build credibility, address legal requirements, and minimize the risk of spectacular violations. Even though there are issues with false positives, lack of expertise, etc., tried and true strategies and powerful scanning tools guarantee efficient audits. Having a checklist of the software security audit and proper cross-team collaboration, each phase of SDLC can maintain a high level of security.

Given the increased number of vulnerabilities every year, it is more advisable to integrate security audits into regular processes. Supporting these standards and employing effective scanning or network security audit software promotes a layered security approach. By optimizing the audit cycles, checking the fixes, and identifying the lessons to be learned, organizations can always improve their security status.

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FAQs

1. What is a Software Security Audit?

Software security audit can be described as a systematic assessment of an application and its code and the runtime environment for possible vulnerabilities or non-conformity. It may include vulnerability scanning, code reviewing, and penetration testing. In this way, an audit checks that the most important functions of each layer of the software correspond to the determined security requirements. They allow addressing the issues and identifying risks that should be prioritized and avoided in future development.

2. What should be included in a Software Security Audit Checklist?

Typically, a software security audit checklist may include aspects such as checking whether the input validation is in place, the encryption settings, and the least privileged access. It also includes issues related to patches, sessions, and third-party libraries. Auditors often cover such elements as firewalls or SSL certificates in their work. This way, each audit is equally comprehensive, and all the crucial steps are accounted for in the checklist.

3. What Certifications are relevant for Software Security Audits?

Software security audit certifications like ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI DSS are often sought by many organizations to ensure that their organization adheres to the set industry standard. Another indication of competence in securing hosted services is specific vendor or product certifications such as those for cloud platforms. Some auditors possess CISSP as their certification in information systems security. Altogether, these accomplishments provide assurance that the auditing team is in conformity with the set standards.

4. How is a Software Security Audit Report Structured?

An ordinary software security audit report begins with an executive summary that features key findings and risk assessment. It then expands on each of the mentioned risks to describe the level of risk, supporting evidence, and measures to mitigate them. Details of the scope, method, and tools applied are given in the subsequent sections of the report to show how the results were derived. Last but not least, logs, code snippets, or other related information can be added to the appendixes for additional context and for research purposes.

5. How often should you conduct a Security Audit?

The frequency can be determined by regulatory requirements, changes in code, or new threats that are identified. Some businesses carry out regular checks with automated solutions and have periodic manual checks at least once a year. As a rule, after significant changes in the architecture or new releases of large features, it is useful to check with network security audit software or code scanners. It is common to have regular software security audit engagements because the threats in cyberspace evolve rapidly.