An investigation into software quality and security: Past research works and existing gaps

Abstract

Software security is concerned with the protection of data, facilities and applications from harm that may be occasioned by malware attacks such as password sniffing, viruses and hijacking. It is a system-wide concept that takes into account both security mechanisms such as access control as well as the design for security, such as a robust design that renders software attack complicated. It may encompass building of secure software, which comprises of the designing of software to be attack-resistant, ensuring that software is error-free, and educating software developers, architects, and users about the building of secure artifacts. In this regard, insecure software negatively affects organization’s reputations with customers, partners, and investors. The goal of this paper is to investigate some of the issues that make the software insecure, as well as the approaches that have been developed to boost software quality and security. The outcomes indicate that various models, techniques, frameworks and approaches to software quality have been developed over the recent past. However, only a few of them give reliable evidence for creating secure software applications.