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NIST SP 800-218 (Initial Public Draft)

Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) Version 1.1: Recommendations for Mitigating the Risk of Software Vulnerabilities

Date Published: September 30, 2021
Comments Due: November 5, 2021 (public comment period is CLOSED)
Email Questions to: ssdf@nist.gov

Author(s)

Murugiah Souppaya (NIST), Karen Scarfone (Scarfone Cybersecurity), Donna Dodson

Announcement

This document will replace the NIST Cybersecurity White Paper released in April 2020 which defined the original Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF), and it includes a change log summarizing the major changes from the April 2020 version. NIST used inputs from the public and its June 2021 workshop to shape SSDF version 1.1 in support of NIST's responsibilities under Executive Order (EO) 14028. The new SSDF draft also includes mappings from EO 14028 clauses to the SSDF practices and tasks that help address each clause.

Few software development life cycle (SDLC) models explicitly address software security in detail, so secure software development practices usually need to be added to each SDLC model to ensure the software being developed is well secured. Draft SP 800-218 recommends a core set of high-level secure software development practices called the SSDF that can be integrated within each SDLC implementation. Following these practices should help software producers reduce the number of vulnerabilities in released software, mitigate the potential impact of the exploitation of undetected or unaddressed vulnerabilities, and address the root causes of vulnerabilities to prevent future recurrences. Also, because the framework provides a common vocabulary for secure software development, software purchasers and consumers can use it to foster communications with suppliers in acquisition processes and other management activities.

NOTE: A call for patent claims is included on page v of this draft. For additional information, see the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Patent Policy--Inclusion of Patents in ITL Publications.

Abstract

Keywords

secure software development; Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF); secure software development practices; software acquisition; software development; software development life cycle (SDLC); software security
Control Families

None selected

Documentation

Publication:
https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-218-draft
Download URL

Supplemental Material:
SSDF Project homepage

Related NIST Publications:
CSWP 13

Document History:
09/30/21: SP 800-218 (Draft)
02/03/22: SP 800-218 (Final)