Secure Development Policy
Purpose
This Secure Development Policy establishes Grayphite's commitment to integrating security into the design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, and retirement of software, systems, and applications. The policy ensures that secure development practices protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets, reduce software-related risks, and support compliance with International Organization for Standardization ISO 27001:2022 and other applicable security requirements.
Scope
This policy applies to all Grayphite employees, contractors, consultants, outsourced development partners, and third-party vendors involved in software development, testing, deployment, maintenance, or integration activities.
This policy covers:
In-house software development
Outsourced and partner-led development
Customer-facing applications
Internal business systems
APIs and integrations
Source code repositories
Development, testing, staging, and production environments
Third-party software components, libraries, frameworks, and platforms
All phases of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), from design through decommissioning
Policy Principles
Grayphite adopts secure development practices throughout the Software Development Lifecycle to ensure that security is embedded into every stage of software creation and maintenance.
1. Secure Development Environment
Grayphite shall maintain dedicated and access-controlled development environments to protect software assets, source code, and development resources from unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.
This includes:
Role-based access controls
Multi-factor authentication where applicable
Segregation of development, testing, and production environments
Activity logging and monitoring
2. Secure Development Standards
Developers shall follow industry-recognized secure coding standards, frameworks, and best practices to reduce software vulnerabilities and security defects.
Secure development guidance shall include:
Secure coding standards
Security architecture principles
Input validation and output encoding
Authentication and authorization controls
Secure session management
Error handling and logging practices
3. Security Throughout the SDLC
Security requirements shall be integrated into every phase of the Software Development Lifecycle.
This includes:
Security requirements during design
Threat modeling and architecture reviews
Secure code reviews
Security testing and validation
Vulnerability remediation before release
Secure deployment practices
4. Source Code Protection
All source code shall be stored in secure repository services that protect its confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
This includes:
Access-controlled repositories
Encryption where applicable
Backup and recovery mechanisms
Audit logging of code changes
Branch protection and approval workflows
5. Version Control and Change Integrity
Grayphite shall maintain version control for all software assets to ensure traceability, accountability, and integrity of all code changes.
This includes:
Commit tracking
Change history retention
Peer review requirements
Controlled merge and release processes
Rollback capabilities where applicable
6. Secure Testing and Validation
Applications and systems shall undergo security verification throughout development and prior to deployment.
Security validation may include:
Static application security testing (SAST)
Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
Dependency and component scanning
Vulnerability assessments
Manual security reviews
Regression testing for security fixes
7. Personnel Competency and Training
Grayphite shall employ qualified personnel for software development activities and provide ongoing training to ensure awareness of evolving secure development practices, threats, vulnerabilities, and technologies.
Training may include:
Secure coding practices
Application security principles
Vulnerability management
Emerging threat awareness
Regulatory and compliance requirements
8. Third-Party Software and Components
Third-party software, frameworks, libraries, and components shall be evaluated, approved, and protected in accordance with licensing obligations, intellectual property rights, and security requirements.
Grayphite shall:
Use only authorized third-party components
Respect licensing and ownership restrictions
Apply vendor-approved customization only
Monitor components for vulnerabilities and updates
9. Technology and Tooling
Grayphite shall provide development and quality assurance teams with modern tools, platforms, and technologies that support secure development, testing, automation, and quality assurance.
10. Client Security Requirements
Where applicable, client-specific security, quality, and compliance requirements shall be incorporated into the software development process and delivery lifecycle.
11. Monitoring and Accountability
Development activities, repositories, environments, and deployment processes shall be monitored to detect unauthorized activity, unplanned changes, or policy violations.
Unauthorized modification, misuse, or non-compliance shall be investigated and addressed through established corrective and disciplinary procedures.
Governance
The implementation and oversight of this policy is governed by Grayphite's Information Security, Engineering, and Technology leadership functions.
Responsibilities include:
Defining secure development standards
Reviewing development controls and processes
Approving tools, frameworks, and repositories
Monitoring compliance with secure development requirements
Managing vulnerability remediation and release approvals
Conducting periodic audits and process reviews
All personnel involved in software development are accountable for complying with this policy.
Continuous Improvement
Grayphite continuously reviews and enhances its secure development practices to address evolving threats, emerging technologies, business requirements, and regulatory expectations.
This includes:
Periodic policy reviews
Security incident analysis
Vulnerability trend monitoring
Lessons learned from audits and assessments
Updates to tools, standards, and training programs
Continuous refinement of SDLC security controls
Contact
For questions regarding Grayphite's security and compliance practices, please contact: security@grayphite.com
