When people write software, they sometimes make mistakes in the code. These mistakes are called “bugs,” and some bugs can create security problems, like holes that bad people (hackers) could use. To keep software safe, developers use code reviews, linting tools, and good development processes to find and fix bugs early. This is like checking your homework for errors so you catch problems before they cause big trouble.

Code Reviews Catch Mistakes

A code review means someone else looks at the code to check for errors and improvements. It’s like having a teacher or friend double-check your essay. Code reviews often catch bugs that the original coder missed. In fact, one famous study found that reading through code finds more problems than testing the program does (Basili and Selby 1987). Experts also note that about half of all security issues in software come from simple coding mistakes, so finding and fixing those bugs is essential (McGraw 2006). By reviewing code, developers can spot logic errors or dangerous code before the software is released. This helps make the software more secure and reliable.

Linters Spot Risky Code

Linting is when an automated tool (a linter) checks the code for issues. It’s like a spell-checker or grammar checker, but for programming. Linters can warn developers about risky patterns in code – things that might cause bugs or security vulnerabilities. Researchers say that linters should be used to detect and eliminate security problems in code (Rafnsson et al. 2020). For example, a linter might alert a programmer if a piece of code could accidentally let an attacker in. One study showed that automated tools could catch many security issues early (Charoenwet et al. 2024). These tools aren’t perfect, but they help a lot by pointing out problems that are easy to overlook.

Good Processes Prevent Big Problems

Using proper development processes means following steps and best practices whenever we build software. This includes planning, testing, code reviews, and using tools like linters at the right stages. Good processes make sure bugs are found early. If a bug is found after a program is released, it can be much harder and more expensive to fix. Researchers discovered long ago that a bug fixed after software is delivered might cost up to 100 times more to repair than if it was found during development (Boehm 1981). In other words, catching issues early stops them from becoming big problems later. By having rules like “always do code reviews” and “run the linter on every change,” teams create software that is safer and more secure from the start. Following these steps is like a safety net for code – it helps developers build strong software that keeps users protected.

References:

• Basili, V.R. and Selby, R.W. (1987) ‘Comparing the Effectiveness of Software Testing Strategies’, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 13(12), pp. 1278–1296. ifsq.orgifsq.org
• Boehm, B.W. (1981) Software Engineering Economics. Prentice Hall. ntrs.nasa.govntrs.nasa.gov
• McGraw, G. (2006) Software Security: Building Security In. Addison-Wesley Professional. informit.cominformit.com
• Rafnsson, W., Giustolisi, R., Kragerup, M., and Høyrup, M. (2020) ‘Fixing Vulnerabilities Automatically with Linters’, in Proc. 14th Int. Conf. on Network and System Security, pp. 224–244. itu.dkitu.dk
• Charoenwet, W., Thongtanunam, P., Pham, V.-T., and Treude, C. (2024) ‘An Empirical Study of Static Analysis Tools for Secure Code Review’, arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.12241