Secure Code Review Services

Code review as a service is an automatic or manual process in which developers check the source algorithm of an application. The purpose of such research is to reveal any existing weaknesses or critical vulnerabilities in the security industry.

Automatic code review process is a mechanism when a tool uses a predefined set of rules to search for low-quality ciphers for independently checking the source algorithm of an application. Such a check makes it faster to find problems in the source program than to reveal them yourself. Manual cipher verification involves examining the source program, line by line, in order to search weaknesses manually, which make the context of programming solutions clear. Automatic tools act fast, however, the developer's aims and business strategy are not considered.

Good secure code review focuses and reflect the easy used methods that all dev teams begin with, thus providing top-quality verification in the long term. They review the adjustments and how they cope with the general algorithm database, verify name and description clarity, fix the accuracy of the encryption, test the function changes and reaffirm that they comply with all recommendations. Such reviews reflect obvious enhancement, such as a hard understood cipher, obscure names, a commented-out cipher, an untested program, or undetected cases.

And the purpose of better code reviews is not only to get a top-quality check, but also to help developers in order to work more productively and make corrections to the developed program. These are secure code review services such as the on demand secure code review service which Alfee.org provides. Our summary covers edits in the context of a bigger system, and also checks whether it is easy to support changes, express doubts about the need for edits or how they affect another process part. The edits presented and how they are implemented in the existing software architecture, usability, the presence of complex strategy that can be simplified, increase the structure of tests, and remove duplicates are also checked.

What Is Code Review really?

Code reviewing technique is a process of verifying the software implementation of the functioning and quality. The source software algorithm is analyzed either by automatic source code review tools or manually by the development team. The aim is solely to find errors, eliminate them, and in most cases increase the cipher quality. Program validations serve as a quality guarantee of the algorithm base.

Experienced developers of software should simplify the cipher verification after they have received a third-party opinion on the solution. Another developer will see your algorithm or application team consistently and provide constructive, helpful feedback. For most professional developers, this is an integral part of life.

Source code review process is an important part of dissemination of knowledge throughout the organization and offering customers great products. It achieves time and effort savings by ensuring the quality of the first period program, rather than notice the problems during production.

Why is Manual Code Review Important for any business?

This is the reason why is secure code review important. A secure algorithm validation can be carried out at any time of the full software development life cycle, but the sooner it is done, the better, because then it will be easier and faster to make updates to the algorithm. In particular, the use of automatic program validation, when developer teams actually write an algorithm, allows you to make immediate changes as needed.

Checking the program manually is very useful when performed at the commit stage. It also includes static application security testing the algorithm taking into account the business goals and purpose of the developer. The most prosperous development process also assumes that developers conduct their own introspection as they write a program.

There are a number of reasons why secure algorithm verification is not only important, but simply necessary. For example:

• Reducing the number of defects that can be raped at a later stage.
• Reducing the time to fix bugs at a late stage of development, thus improving productivity.
• Reducing the number of errors and identify security vulnerabilities in the system entering production.
• Increase return on investment by speeding up processes and increasing their security, while spending less resources and time.

The main purpose of algorithm validation is to prevent the deployment of problematic cipher in a production environment. Peer source code review serves to detect program errors before they cause damage.

Another goal of the software developers review is to help you become a better developer. When you know that your program will be tested by another programmer, you write the algorithm differently. You pay careful attention to details: give names to methods and functions, add thorough tests, write a readable and understandable cipher, taking into account the likelihood of side effects.

Required Code Review Checklist

If you are a developer of testing teams who can see someone else's algorithm line by line to help test their attitude to the problem, then in the process you should answer a few questions:

1. 01

   Is there likely to be difficulties with access by the developer? Is such an algorithm cost-effective?
2. 02

   Are there any security vulnerabilities in the program?
3. 03

   Are there approaches to reduce development time and improve product quality?
4. 04

   What could you increase or change?
5. 05

   Is it easy to save the source code?

In the process of testing the algorithm, professional software developers usually use a special check. That's what it consists of:

Setting goals and standards

It is extremely important to define the goals before you start the source code review process. They include the company's standards directly, which guarantees that the results meet expectations.

Discussion of goals and expectations

It is very important to play on with purpose and expectations. Failure to communicate the goals and expectations of all team members can lead to inexperience of results. Understanding expectations helps the developer to do his job correctly.

Definition of the algorithm and code verification mechanism

A special verification process helps to reduce time and better implement the task.

Use code review checklist

A good program overview requires that the checklist should be clearly defined. A competitor can use this checklist to make sure nothing is missing.

Comment from the authors before reviewing

Annotations are a useful tool both to help the source code reviewer and for the overall development process. It will help you better understand the algorithm and what each adware application does. We recommend developers to add application descriptions.

View no more than 60 minutes at a time

It is well known that a person's labor productivity can decrease if he tries to work continuously for several hours without a break. Researches have shown that after the 60-minute work, the reviewer effectiveness may be reduced, and some disadvantages may go unnoticed.

Elimination of detected defects

Toticed defects after validating the program is the ultimate goal. The presence of a specific process for eliminating defects ensures that this will be done in the most efficient way and with the least technical costs.

Encourage a positive code-checking culture

The purpose of reviewing the program is not only to case of errors, but also to teach how to fix and prevent them in the future.

Automation

Automatic tools are one of the main advantages of successful development teams. They reduce the time of viewing applications at times. Such services scan databases, identify mistakes and offer solutions in just a few seconds.

After preparing all the comments for the report, it is necessary to recheck everything again: Comments are only critical? Do they clarify the problem or may there be misunderstandings? Are there any illustrative examples?

Peer Code Review And What It Should Be

Each company does its own algorithm verification process. But we present four best and most common ones:

Instant Code Review method

Advanced development teams write algorithms while the reviewer sits close, simultaneously reading the cipher and correcting it at the moment. Pair programming is the most suitable for a very complex program when two brains can solve the problem very quickly and efficiently.

Although this process seems to be beneficial for business, in fact the time and labor for this method makes it inefficient. Two or more people working on the program, however, fewer lines through the handler. Stop the fix, as well as the workflow, the author of the program.

Synchronous code verification method

Such a process is used most often in practice. The programmer is engaged in incremental code development, then one of the senior team members corrects the algorithm, right on the author's screen, over his shoulder. Such a process is informal and spontaneous, but gives good results only when testing can be used.

The disadvantage is the possibility of unnoticed errors, since the assistant does not go into details of the project aims, which means it is necessary to discuss it beforehand in order to ship high quality code.

Meeting-based code verification method

This approach is rarely used, because after the end of development, you have to organize a meeting. On it, the whole team discusses the result and makes its own adjustments. This takes a lot of time and effort, and also reduces efficiency due to the unlikely presence of all team members.

Meeting-based algorithm verification method is cost-effective when all the team is still unskilled in the field of code review process. Then this method promotes learning.

Tool-based code analysis method

This is the process when developers do not work together, at any rate on one screen. This is known as induction cipher verifying too. In this case, when the application is completed, the developer has left it visible to another user. The reviewer points out the programs on the display, discussing or even correcting mistakes in the programs.

The instrumental technique of algorithm analysis is a collaboration of two interrelated software development life cycles. Developers perform tasks independently of each other, without being distracted from the tasks assigned to each.

Common Code Review Approaches And Their Solutions

In recent years, algorithm verification has remained popular due to the necessity to guarantee the level of the development result. However, there are problems: there are few good experts and therefore a time constraint. Therefore, it is extremely crucial to include automatic instruments in common code manual review approaches. They can be extremely fast, top-quality and affordable, which is a plus for any business too.

A company capable of ensuring the safety of your developments is Alfee.org. Our security team members are rapidly and easily engaged in the work on your company's projects, work with existing security problems and check the created algorithms quality. We can help you to level out all security flaws.