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SDL Process: Design

Seven phases of the traditional software development lifecycle define Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) process. Click on a phase to view the security practice details preformed during each phase or download the whitepaper Simplified Implementation of the SDL.

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SDL Practice #5: Establish Design Requirements	SDL Practice #6: Attack Surface Analysis/Reduction	SDL Practice #7: Threat Modeling
The design requirements activity contains a number of required actions including the creation of security and privacy design specifications, specification review, and specification of minimal cryptographic design requirements.	A thorough analysis will provide better awareness of overall product attack surface. With this information, design considerations should be put in place to reduce attack surface, including but not limited to disabling or restricting access to system services, applying the principle of least privilege, and employing layered defenses where possible.	Threat modeling is a process by which you can understand security threats to a system, determine risks from those threats, and establish appropriate mitigations.
Why should I follow this practice?
Design specifications should describe how to architect software features securely. By considering security and privacy concerns early when you design features, you minimize the risk of schedule disruptions.	Attack surface reduction reduces security risk by giving attackers less opportunity to exploit a potential weak spot or vulnerability.	Threat modeling allows development teams to effectively find security design issues. Mitigation of security issues is less expensive when performed during design.
When should I employ this practice?
Traditional Software development: Design Phase Agile development: One Time	Traditional Software development: Design Phase Agile development: Bucket/Planning	Traditional Software development: Design Phase Agile development: Every Sprint
Resources specific to this practice
Basics of Secure Design, Development and Test Privacy in Software Development Privacy Guidelines for Developing Software Products and Services Firewall Rules and Requirements Cryptographic Agility Documenting and Evaluating the Security Guarantees of Your Apps	SDL Developer Starter Kit - Secure Design Principles Fending Off Future Attacks by Reducing Attack Surface Mitigate Security Risks by Minimizing the Code You Expose to Untrusted Users Webcast: Fending Off Attacks by Reducing an Application's Attack Surface (Level 300)	Introduction to SDL Threat Modeling SDL Developer Starter Kit – Threat Modeling Principles, and Threat Modeling Tool Principles Uncover Security Design Flaws Using the STRIDE Approach Reinvigorate Your Threat Modeling Process Threat Models Improve Your Security Process Getting Started with the SDL Threat Modeling Tool Chat About Threat Modeling Elevation of Privilege Card Game
Tools specific to this practice
		SDL Threat Modeling Tool Download or Watch the Video

Learn how Microsoft performs the Design Phase or visit the Security Development Lifecycle Forum

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SDL Process: Design