Dependability attributes for increased security in component-based software development

Abstract

Existing software applications become increasingly distributed as their continuity and lifetimes are lengthened; consequently, the users' dependence on these applications is increased. The security of these applications has become a primary concern in their design, construction and evolution. Thus, these applications give rise to major concerns on the capability of the current development approach to develop secure systems. Component-Based Software Development (CBSD) is a software engineering approach. CBSD has been successfully applied in many domains. However, the CBSD capability to develop secure software applications is lacking to date. This study is an extension of the previous study on the challenges of the security features in CBSD models. Therefore, this study proposes a solution to the lack of security in CBSD models by highlighting the attributes that must be embedded into the CBSD process. A thorough analysis of existing studies is conducted to investigate the related software security attributes. The outcome analysis is beneficial for industries, such as software development companies, as well as for academic institutions. The analysis also serves as a baseline reference for companies that develop component-based software. © 2014 Science Publications.