Secure Software Development Framework

Define the product, supported versions, development model and suppliers involved. The SSDF can be integrated into different life cycles; it is not a single prescribed development sequence. For connected equipment, include firmware and supporting software services in the review where they affect product security. Keep scope aligned with the actual software delivered.

The framework groups practices around preparing the organization, protecting software, producing well-secured software and responding to vulnerabilities. These subjects connect governance with engineering work. Read the tasks, implementation examples and references together, then determine which evidence demonstrates the organization’s chosen implementation. A policy statement alone offers limited insight into development practice.

NCQM practice consideration: identify records for threat analysis, code review, dependency selection, build protection, testing and release decisions. Link each record to the software version concerned. A vulnerability scan conducted after release cannot explain every earlier design decision. Evidence should show both preventive work and the handling of findings that arise during development.

Software suppliers and open-source components introduce dependencies that need continuing attention. Identify the component, version, source and intended use. Establish who evaluates known vulnerabilities and who authorizes a changed dependency. A component inventory supports this work but does not establish that every component is secure or that all vulnerabilities have been found.

Federal procurement programs and individual contracts may invoke secure development requirements or attestations. Review those instruments directly. Publication of the SSDF does not, on its own, make every practice a universal legal condition for all software sold in the United States. Record the exact adopted version rather than silently replacing it with a later draft or revision.

NCQM practice consideration: define supported versions, a vulnerability intake route, triage responsibility and a controlled correction process. Preserve the basis for release and the disposition of unresolved findings. Security work continues after delivery; the organization should be able to connect a reported issue to affected versions and the action taken for users.