BEST-PRACTICE GUIDE
Secure software delivery
A release-readiness conversation for engineering and security teams.
Choose one application and its next release. Mark each item Ready, Partial, or Unknown. Record the evidence and the person who can resolve each open question.
01 / Define the release boundaries
Identify the application owner, sensitive data, exposed interfaces, and security requirements. Keep a short threat review with the release record.
Status: Ready / Partial / Unknown Evidence / owner: ____________________
02 / Protect code and credentials
Use reviewed changes and appropriate repository access. Keep secrets out of source code and build logs; document rotation and access ownership.
Status: Ready / Partial / Unknown Evidence / owner: ____________________
03 / Know what you ship
Inventory dependencies and build inputs. Review vulnerability findings, artifact integrity, and documented risk decisions before release.
Status: Ready / Partial / Unknown Evidence / owner: ____________________
04 / Make security checks actionable
Use appropriate code, dependency, and application tests in the delivery process. Agree which findings block a release and who can approve an exception.
Status: Ready / Partial / Unknown Evidence / owner: ____________________
05 / Prepare deployment and rollback
Separate environments, limit deployment permissions, and document rollback steps. Test those steps and retain the release evidence.
Status: Ready / Partial / Unknown Evidence / owner: ____________________
06 / Plan for vulnerabilities after launch
Name a vulnerability intake owner and response process. Track remediation, communicate with affected stakeholders, and review recurring root causes.
Status: Ready / Partial / Unknown Evidence / owner: ____________________
Educational checklist informed by the NIST SSDF. Tailor it to your application; it does not establish compliance or guarantee a secure release.