Security in software maintenance: How to protect your application

Software maintenance often focuses on eliminating functional errors and improving performance. However, one of the most critical but often overlooked tasks of [maintenance](/services/software maintenance and maintenance) is the currency of software security. Outdated components, newly discovered vulnerabilities and unsafe maintenance processes can transform even the most robust application into an open barn door for attackers. In this guide we will show you the most important safety practices that cannot be missed in any maintenance process.

Why is security a central topic of maintenance?

A software is only as safe as its weakest member. After the initial publication of an application, the safety landscape is in constant movement:

New vulnerabilities are discovered: Daily new vulnerabilities (CVEs - Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) are found in widespread libraries, frameworks and operating systems.
** Attack methods continue to develop:** Hackers always find new ways to penetrate systems.
Configurations change: Improper changes during operation can unintentionally open vulnerabilities.

The software maintenance is the first line of defense to meet these threats and to continuously cure the application against new risks.

Das A und O: Patchmanagement

The most important individual safety measure in maintenance is a rigorous Patch management. A patch is a small software update that closes a known vulnerability. A systematic patch management process is essential.

Steps of an effective patch management process:

Inventory: Run a complete list of all components, libraries and their versions used in your application (Software Bill of Materials - SBOM).
Monitoring: Use automated tools (e.g. OWASP Dependency-Check, Snyk, GitHub Dependabot) to continuously monitor your components to known vulnerabilities.
Review: If a new vulnerability is reported, evaluate their critique for your system. Not every gap represents the same risk for each application.
Test: Test the patch thoroughly in a safe test environment to ensure that it does not cause new errors (regressions).
** Roll out:** Roll out the tested patch as soon as possible on the productive system. A CI/CD pipeline can significantly accelerate this process.

More Best Practices for Safe Software Maintenance

In addition to patch management, there are other key practices to ensure safety throughout the entire maintenance cycle.

Security practice Description

**Principle of the least

Security in software maintenance: How to protect your...