The Intelligence domain in the Building Security in Maturity Model (BSIMM) focuses on gathering and using information about software security. This includes understanding the types of attacks that are possible against the software being developed, which is why reviewing attack models falls under this domain. The BSIMM domain of Intelligence involves creating models of potential attacks on software (attack models), analyzing actual attacks that have occurred (attack intelligence), and sharing this information to improve security measures. By reviewing attack models, the software security group is essentially assessing the organization’s ability to anticipate and understand potential security threats, which is a key aspect of the Intelligence domain.

The software control test that examines an application from a user perspective by providing a wide variety of input scenarios and inspecting the output is known as black box testing. This testing method focuses on the functionality of the application rather than its internal structures or workings. Testers provide inputs and examine outputs without knowing how and where the inputs are worked upon. It’s designed to test the system’s external behavior.

Black box testing is used to verify that the system meets the requirements and behaves as expected in various scenarios, including edge cases and incorrect input data. It helps in identifying discrepancies between the system’s actual functionality and its specified requirements.

This type of testing is applicable across various levels of software testing, including unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing. It is particularly useful for validating user stories and use cases during the software development process.

Since black box testing treats the software as a “black box”, it does not require the tester to have knowledge of the programming languages or the system’s implementation. This allows testers to objectively test the software’s behavior and performance.

The phase being described is the Design phase of the SDLC. During this phase, developers and IT staff determine the architectural and operational details of the product, which includes decisions on how to deliver various components such as secure REST services, mobile apps, and web applications. The Design phase is crucial for setting the foundation for the development work that will follow, ensuring that the product will be secure, scalable, and maintainable.

 The three primary goals of the secure software development process, often referred to as the CIA triad, are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These principles form the cornerstone of security considerations in the software development life cycle (SDLC).

Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information is accessed only by authorized individuals and systems. This involves implementing access controls and encryption to protect data from unauthorized access.

Integrity refers to maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data across its lifecycle. This means that the data is not altered or tampered with by unauthorized entities. Techniques like checksums and digital signatures help ensure data integrity.

Availability ensures that information and resources are accessible to authorized users when needed. This involves creating resilient systems that can withstand attacks and recover quickly from any disruptions.

By integrating these security goals into each phase of the SDLC, from planning and design to development, testing, and maintenance, organizations can create more secure software systems that are resilient to cyber threats.

The issue described involves a session management vulnerability where the user’s session remains active even after the browser window is closed, allowing another user on the same machine to access the application without logging in. To prevent this security risk, it’s essential to adjust the session management controls to include an automatic timeout feature. This means that after a period of inactivity, or when the browser window is closed, the session should automatically expire, requiring a new login to access the application. This adjustment ensures that even if a user forgets to log out, their session won’t remain active indefinitely, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.