Introduction: The Rising Importance of Proactive Security

Okay, so, proactive security – it's kinda a big deal now, right? I mean, remember when security was just, like, an afterthought? Those days are gone, thankfully.

• The old "bolt-on" security approach is failing us, big time. You know, where you add security after you've basically built the whole thing? It's like trying to put a security guard on a building that's already been robbed – it just doesn't make much sense. Think about the Equifax breach in 2017; they had vulnerabilities that were known and unpatched for months because security wasn't integrated early enough. It's like putting a band-aid on a broken leg, tbh.
• "Secure by Design" and "Secure by Default" are stepping in as the new heroes. These are about baking security into the process from the start. It's a whole different ball game, and a much better one, too.
• Even organizations like cisa are pushing for this! cisa is all about getting companies to sign on to this idea, which is kinda huge.

As safestack.io says, it's like realizing the problem with plastic pollution isn't just on consumers, but the manufacturers, too. Shifting that responsibility, y'know?

So, what's the actual difference between these two security philosophies? That's what we'll get into next.

Secure by Design: Building Security into the Foundation

Okay, so, Secure by Design. It's not just a buzzword, right? I mean, it's about actually thinking about security from the get-go. Like, before you even start coding.

• It means weaving security into every stage of the development lifecycle. Think threat modeling, secure coding practices, the whole shebang. It ain't just slapping a firewall on at the end, that's for sure.

• cisa, they're pretty clear on this; secure-by-design "reasonably protects against malicious cyber actors gaining access to devices, data, and connected infrastructure" – it's about building it right, not fixing it later.

• And like, it's more than just features, its about baking security into the DNA of your product. If you don't, then you're gonna have a bad time, trust me.

Imagine you're building like, an online banking app. Secure by Design would mean using memory-safe languages to avoid buffer overflows, implementing robust authentication from day one, and regularly testing for vulnerabilities before launch. Not after some hacker finds them, yikes!

Secure by Default: Security Out-of-the-Box

Secure by Default, eh? It's like, "here's your thing, and oh yeah, it's already kinda locked down." No assembly required, security-wise.

• The core idea? Ship products fully secured, like, with multi-factor authentication (mfa) turned on by default. Think about it: no more easy-peasy default passwords that hackers love. cisa highlights these kind of configurations, by the way.

• Another biggie is single sign-on (sso) integration right out of the gate. One less password to worry about, plus secure logging is a must.

• aws S3 buckets being private by default is a solid example. It took them years to make that the default.

It's all about flipping the script – instead of you hardening the product, you're "loosening" it to fit your needs, if you even need to. cisa even has "loosening guides" now, which is kinda funny when you think about it. These guides are typically provided by security organizations or vendors to help users understand how to adjust default security settings. For instance, a default setting might be to disable remote access for security reasons. A "loosening guide" might explain how to enable it securely for a specific business need, outlining the necessary steps and the associated risks, like requiring strong passwords and IP whitelisting.

Of course, users can still mess with those defaults, maybe for usability reasons, but that introduces risk, of course. What's next? Well, we'll dive into those risks of people changing default settings.

Key Differences: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Okay, so, the question of which is more important often comes up, but it's less about ranking and more about understanding how they work together.

• Secure by Design is all about getting in early. Like, thinking about security before you write a single line of code. It's a proactive thing, aiming to prevent problems before they even exist, y'know? It's the blueprint for a secure structure.
• Secure by Default, on the other hand, is more about what happens when you ship the product. It's about making sure that, out of the box, it's already pretty secure. Think default passwords not being "password123" – simple, but effective. It's the pre-installed locks and alarms on that structure.
• Another difference? Who's footing the bill. Secure by Design? Its on the vendor to build it right. Secure by Default? It's more of a shared thing, but users can mess that up. For example, a user might disable MFA on their account to speed up logins, or share their default credentials, completely undermining the "secure by default" posture. This can lead to account takeovers and data breaches.

Ultimately, both are needed, but they attack different stages. Speaking of stages, let's talk about the development lifecycle next!

Applying Secure by Design and Default in Enterprise SSO and CIAM

So, how do these concepts actually play out in the real world, especially with SSO and ciam? Let's break it down:

• Secure by Design: Think OIDC and SAML. For OIDC, this means carefully validating token signatures, ensuring proper audience and issuer checks, and implementing secure redirect URI handling to prevent open redirect vulnerabilities. For SAML, it involves robust assertion encryption and signing, secure metadata exchange, and strict validation of SAML responses to prevent replay attacks. It's about building these protocols with security as the primary concern from the ground up, not as an add-on.

• Secure by Default: For SSO/CIAM solutions, this means MFA is enabled out-of-the-box for all users, eliminating the need for manual configuration and reducing the risk of weak authentication. Default credentials are complex and unique, or better yet, non-existent, forcing users to set their own strong passwords or use SSO. Secure logging is enabled by default, capturing detailed audit trails of authentication attempts, access events, and administrative changes, which is crucial for incident response and compliance. For example, a CIAM solution might default to requiring a TOTP code or biometric verification for all logins, even for internal users, significantly reducing the attack surface.

It's gotta be built into the core, not just slapped on, y'know?

Now, what about making it easy for the users? Next up!

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Security

Alright, so we've gone through secure by design and secure default, but what's the real takeaway, y'know? It's not an either/or kinda thing.

• Both Secure by Design and Secure by Default are super important. Like, you can't just pick one and call it a day, honestly. You need both to build a secure and functional structure.

• Market incentives, regulations, and business leadership are all part of the puzzle, too. It's not enough to just want secure software; you need to make it happen.

• Securing software is a never-ending challenge, but the payoff is HUGE. Think about it: software is basically running everything these days, so security is not optional.

It's like, we're not just building software; we're building the future—and it better be secure, right? Securing software is a daunting challenge, but the potential benefits are enormous. It's a constant balancing act, but hey, that's what makes it interesting, right?

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from SSOJet - Enterprise SSO & Identity Solutions authored by SSOJet - Enterprise SSO & Identity Solutions. Read the original post at: https://ssojet.com/blog/differences-between-secure-by-design-and-secure-by-default