Application Security Program Checklist

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Updated December 2025

Application Security is the use of software, hardware and procedural methods to protect applications from external threats. In the world of software design, security is becoming an increasingly important concern during development as applicants are more accessible over different networks — and as a result, are more vulnerable to a wide variety of threats. That is why having an advanced Application Security program to detect such threats is imperative for business owners. Column Information Security created a step-by-step checklist on implementing an advanced Application Security program to help businesses detect threats in the design, development or database of their applications.

Application Security Program Checklist

This checklist is designed for you to systematically reduce application security risk across design, development, deployment, and ongoing use.

1. Governance and Ownership

☐ Assign clear responsibility for application security (owner, manager, or external provider)

☐ Document basic security objectives for each business application

☐ Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all applications, including third-party and cloud-based systems

☐ Define acceptable risk levels and escalation procedures for security issues

2. Secure Design and Architecture

☐ Ensure security requirements are considered before development begins

☐ Use the principle of least privilege when designing user roles and system access

☐ Separate critical components (databases, application logic, admin functions) where possible

☐ Avoid hardcoding credentials, keys, or secrets into applications

3. Authentication and Access Control

☐ Enforce strong password policies and prevent password reuse

☐ Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrators and privileged users

☐ Review user permissions regularly and remove unused or excessive access

☐ Ensure session timeouts and automatic logout are configured appropriately

4. Secure Development Practices

☐ Follow established secure coding standards (such as OWASP guidelines)

☐ Validate and sanitize all user input to prevent injection attacks

☐ Implement proper error handling without exposing system details

☐ Ensure third-party libraries and plugins are actively maintained and reputable

5. Application Testing and Review

☐ Perform security testing before any application goes live

☐ Use automated vulnerability scanning tools where possible

☐ Conduct periodic manual reviews of critical functionality

☐ Retest applications after updates, patches, or configuration changes

6. Data Protection and Privacy

☐ Encrypt sensitive data both in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest

☐ Limit access to customer and business data strictly to those who need it

☐ Ensure backups are encrypted and securely stored

☐ Confirm compliance with relevant data protection regulations (e.g. GDPR)

7. Infrastructure and Configuration Security

☐ Keep operating systems, servers, and application platforms fully patched

☐ Disable unnecessary services, ports, and default accounts

☐ Use secure configuration baselines for servers and cloud environments

☐ Monitor configuration changes and log administrative actions

8. Monitoring and Logging

☐ Enable application logging for authentication events and critical actions

☐ Store logs securely and protect them from unauthorised access

☐ Regularly review logs for unusual or suspicious activity

☐ Set alerts for repeated login failures or unexpected behaviour

9. Incident Response and Recovery

☐ Document a basic incident response plan for application breaches

☐ Define steps for containment, investigation, and recovery

☐ Ensure backups can be restored quickly and reliably

☐ Record incidents and lessons learned to improve future security

10. Ongoing Maintenance and Improvement

☐ Schedule regular security reviews of all business applications

☐ Track and remediate known vulnerabilities in a timely manner

☐ Provide basic security awareness training for staff who use applications

☐ Review the application security program annually and update as needed

Conclusion:

Application security is not a one-time task. For small businesses, consistency matters more than complexity. A simple, well-maintained security program will reduce risk far more effectively than advanced controls that are never reviewed or enforced.

Also read: 6 Things To Look For When Choosing Rigging Hardware Supplier For Your Business

About the Author

Nori De Jesus is the Global Director of Marketing at Column Information Security. Nori brings over 20 years of experience as an advent marketer and business strategist working with software manufacturers and launching proprietary software solutions into the market.