Security is vital both for individuals and businesses, so it pays to scrutinize the software platforms you consider using. There are certain best practices that can help you improve your security at the personal level, but they won't matter if the software you're using is full of holes and vulnerabilities.
How exactly can you tell if a given software platform is secure enough for your needs?
Consider Your Needs
One of your most important tasks happens before you even start a software search. You need to consider your own needs and the level of security you're comfortable with. If you're downloading an app on a device that isn't routinely connected to a network, and you're only going to use it temporarily, your security standards might be quite low.
Conversely, if you're looking for software for a large enterprise to use for the purpose of organizing and conveying sensitive information, your security standards might be quite high. You'll need to adjust your search accordingly.
Consider Certifications and Compliance
Certain formal standards exist to ensure security compliance within certain types of software.These compliance standards aren’t necessarily perfect, and they vary between organizations, but they’re great for helping you form a first impression – and they set a great initial bar for your chosen software platforms to exceed.
This gives you a glimpse into the security standards held by this platform. An independent, third party has ostensibly certified this app because its security standards are compliant with this code. Even if you're not familiar with the intricacies of that code, you can at least feel confident that the developers are taking security and privacy seriously.
Pay Attention to the Developer’s Reputation
You should also do some research to get a feel for this developer's reputation. Has this development team produced other apps in the past? If so, how well were they received? Were there any disastrous security breaches? In general communities, do users feel like these developers treat security as a top priority? Does this company have a good reputation overall?
Obviously, developer reputation only plays a passive role in helping you determine the security standards within a given software platform. But it's still an important piece of information to hold in your mind during your analysis.
Track and Analyze Previous Updates
Software patches are often designed to close vulnerabilities and resolve potential security issues. If a company makes lots of software patches, you might be troubled; after all, shouldn't a software platform be secure from the outset?
This intuition isn't necessarily wrong, but it is a bit misguided. Every software platform is going to have holes and vulnerabilities. What's important is that there's an active developer to issue regular security patches to close them.
Review User Ratings and Comments
In addition to reviewing previous software updates, take a moment to review user ratings and comments. If you see many people complaining about lax security standards, it might be an indication of a genuine problem. Conversely, if people praise the security, you can feel more confident moving forward.
Flag Permission Requests
When you install any software on your device, pay close attention to any permission requests. Software must often get your permission for certain types of access, but some permissions are more legitimate than others. When in doubt, don't give permission.
Tinker With Security and Privacy Settings
Most software platforms now have built-in security and privacy settings for users to customize to their liking. This is a sign that software developers created the app with security in mind – and it's your opportunity to make the app even more secure. Make sure you understand these settings before you start adjusting them, however.
Use Official Platforms for Downloading and Installing
If you want to reduce the likelihood of downloading a piece of malware masquerading as your target software platform, make sure to use official platforms for downloading and installing. Official app stores are typically very reliable, as are direct downloads from developer websites.
Practice Good Security Hygiene on Your Own
Finally, understand that software platform security is only one piece of the equation. It's also your responsibility to practice good security hygiene on your own. That means choosing a strong password with many characters and a mix of characters including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols. It also means using a different password for every software platform and never giving those login credentials to others – as well as staying aware of common scams.
Determining whether a piece of software is secure can be challenging, but with these standards, it should be much more approachable. Once you get some practice using this due diligence, it will eventually become second nature to you.