The System Development Life Cycle: A Phased Approach to Application Security

Systems Development Life Cycle is a systematic approach which explicitly breaks down the work into phases that are required to implement either new or modified Information System. Fundamentally, SDLC trades flexibility for control by imposing structure. Baselines[clarification needed] are established after four of the five phases of the SDLC, and are critical to the iterative nature of the model.[21] Baselines become milestones. Most teams rely on automated tests to speed up this phase, but some manual examinations are also valuable (penetration tests are a good example). The Systems Development Life Cycle is the big picture of creating an information system that handles a major task (referred to as an application).

Minor changes typically have little impact on the security posture of a system. These changes include standard maintenance, adding or deleting users, applying standard security patches, or other routine activities. However, significant changes require an added level of attention and action. Changes, https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ such as installing a new operating system, port modification, new hardware platforms, or changes to the security controls, should trigger a re-authorization of the system. Companies are under more pressure than ever to deliver high-quality products in often unrealistically short time frames.

Phases of the System-Development Life Cycle

An example would be the Department of Defense supply system, the customer system used at your local bank, the repair parts inventory system used by car dealerships. There are thousands of applications that use an information system created just to help solve a business problem. When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. When a prototype is built, user feedback is required and will be applied in the next version of the prototype. Our consultants will help you to supplement your team or build a high-quality mobile/web app
from scratch.

As the information technology sphere continues to evolve, the SDLC has been changed to keep up with the ever-changing demands in system development. Intellectsoft works at the cutting edge of SDLC tech and can help you implement it in your organization. Having covered the major SDLC methodologies offered by software development companies, let’s now review whether they are actually worth employing. As you can see, different methodologies are used depending on the specific vision, characteristics, and requirements of individual projects.

What is SDLC? Software Development Life Cycle Defined

In the development stage of SDLC, the system creation process produces a working solution. Developers write code and build the app according to the finalized requirements and specification documents. With that in mind, Intellectsoft’s best experts have created a complete guide to the system development life cycle.

This will help your team to produce organized and consistent code that is easier to understand but also to test during the next phase. In other words, the team should determine the feasibility of the project and how they can implement the project successfully with the lowest risk in mind. With web application security add an extra layer of protection to your application and stop DDoS what is the systems development life cycle attacks and data breaches before they even occur. SDLCs can also be more specifically used by systems analysts as they develop and later implement a new information system. Their output may be closer or farther from what the client eventually realizes they desire. It’s mostly used for smaller projects and experimental life cycles designed to inform other projects in the same company.

Development Phase

Typically, each stage must be completed before the next one can begin, and extensive documentation is required to ensure that all tasks are completed before moving on to the next stage. This is to ensure effective communication between teams working apart at different stages. The last but not least important stage of the SDLC process is the maintenance stage, where the software is already being used by end-users. The testing stage ensures the application’s features work correctly and coherently and fulfill user objectives and expectations.

For example, the waterfall model works best for projects where your team has no or limited access to customers to provide constant feedback. However, the Agile model’s flexibility is preferred for complex projects with constantly changing requirements. However, unlike traditional software development that addresses security as a separate stage, SDLC addresses security every step of the way through DevSecOps practices. The new seven phases of SDLC include planning, analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, and maintenance. It’s linear and straightforward and requires development teams to finish one phase of the project completely before moving on to the next. Testing is critical to the system development life cycle to ensure compliance with functional, performance, and security requirements.

SDLC vs. DevOps

Mostly used for creating and delivering a wide range of ideas, this model perfectly fits the clients who don’t have a clear idea or vision of what their final product should look like. The Iterative model is often favored because it is adaptable, and changes are comparatively easier to accommodate. This is particularly important for large systems, which usually are more difficult to test in the debugging stage. Next, let’s explore the different stages of the Software Development Life Cycle. You needn’t worry any longer as the search for answers to the latest security issues is over.

During the Analysis stage, the focus is on gathering and understanding the requirements of the system. This includes conducting interviews, studying existing processes, and identifying stakeholders’ needs. The gathered information serves as a basis for designing a system that meets users’ expectations and addresses organizational challenges. The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) provides a well-structured framework that gives an idea, of how to build a system.

System Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

For example, as the system analyst of Viti Bank, you have been tasked to examine the current information system. Customers in remote rural areas are finding difficulty to access the bank services. It takes them days or even weeks to travel to a location to access the bank services.

• Testers test the software and validate that it’s behaving as intended as well as approving the beta version release once it’s properly tested and retested.
• They will be responsible for determining if the proposed design reaches the initial business goals set by the company.
• The programs that need modification are identified and programmers change or repair those programs.
• It is either released to be downloaded by end-users or
  installed on the client’s premises and prepared to start running there.
• However, tests are often postponed until later stages, especially if they are not well integrated and create friction.

A post-implementation review ensures that the system or application is operating at a satisfactory level. This review involves soliciting user feedback on the overall effectiveness of the project and achievement of the requirements, timelines, etc. This information provides valuable insight for future projects and identifies potential shortcomings in the SDLC. In the spiral development model, the development process is driven by the unique risk patterns of a project. The development team evaluates the project and determines which elements of the other process models to incorporate. Phase 3 defines the necessary specifications, operations, and features that will satisfy all functional requirements of the proposed system.

What You Need to Know About System Development Life Cycle

It involves the activities of planning, analysis, designing, building, testing, deploying, and maintaining a system that meets or exceeds client expectations. Finally, the planning process clearly defines the outline of system development. The project manager will set deadlines and time frames for each phase of the software development life cycle, ensuring the product is presented to the market in time.