| | | | Trustworthy Computing | September 2013 |  | | Microsoft Security Newsletter | | | | | | | | | | Welcome to September’s Security Newsletter! | This month our newsletter focuses on application security. With the growing popularity of apps today, and their wide range of use such as the processing of financial data or storing of personal information, it is critically important that application developers build apps with security in mind.
To help developers protect their applications from malicious attacks, Microsoft has integrated security technologies into our software commonly used for development. Windows 8 and Visual Studio 2012 provide a set of application programming interfaces (APIs), controls, and tools to help minimize application vulnerabilities and mitigate common security problems. In Visual Studio 2012, security technologies such as /GS, address space layout randomization (ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP), and Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP) are enabled by default for native code within the application. When developers compile their applications, these security technologies are integrated. In addition, Microsoft provides an Application Certification Kit. This kit is designed to help developers validate and test their applications on their computer before they submit them for certification and listing in the Windows Store.
While on the topic of applications, Microsoft has released a new Security Intelligence Report app for Windows. If you are not familiar with the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (SIR), it provides threat intelligence for 100+ countries/regions around the world and is designed to help IT professionals manage risk within their organizations. This new app is designed to work on Windows 7 and Windows 8 and provides our readers with an enhanced way to access the vast amount of threat intelligence contained in the SIR. The app includes all 800+ pages of content from SIR Volume 14, the latest volume of the report, and is fully searchable. This makes it easy to find every mention of a particular threat or country/region. It also provides an easy way to access high fidelity charts with “save as” functionality. In addition, the application is reader friendly with the integration of glossary terms in the body of the report.
You can download the app today at http://aka.ms/GetSIRApp. We hope you enjoy it and encourage you to provide feedback to our Twitter handle @MSFTSecurity.
 | | Best regards,
Tim Rains, Director
Microsoft Trustworthy Computing |
Have feedback on how we can improve this newsletter? Email us at secnlfb@microsoft.com and share your ideas. | | |  | | Top Stories |  |  | | | | Financial Services: A Survey of the State of Secure Application Development Processes
Organizations in the financial services industry handle trillions of transactions each year involving sensitive information about individuals, companies, and other third parties. To help protect this sensitive information it is important that financial services organizations are developing, procuring, and using software applications that have been developed with security in mind. As a result, Microsoft recently commissioned an independent research and consultancy firm to examine the current state of application development in the financial services sector from a security perspective. Explore their findings by downloading the report, “Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle Adoption: Why and How today.”
MAPP Initiatives Update – Knowledge Exchange Platform
A little more than a month ago, Microsoft announced some new initiatives for the Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP). Learn how the program is moving forward with its first two initiatives, one of which is a new automated knowledge exchange platform that provides the ability to automate the sharing and consumption of threat information in machine readable formats.
| | | | | Security Guidance | | | | | | Microsoft SDL Optimization Model
Designed for development managers and IT policymakers, this step-by-step model helps you gradually move your organization toward the adoption of the Microsoft SDL to reduce customer risk. Included are tools that will enable you to: a) assess the state of your development organization with four maturity levels; b) create a practical vision and roadmap for improving your organizations software development capability; and c) outline practical and cost-effective activities in each of the five capability areas to assist with budgeting, planning, and staffing efforts associated with software.
SDL Process Template
Get a downloadable template that automatically integrates the policy, process, and tools associated with the Microsoft SDL process guidance directly into your Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) software development environment.
SDL Threat Modeling Tool
Threat modeling is a core element of the Microsoft SDL. The SDL Threat Modeling makes threat modeling easier for developers of all skill levels to communicate about the security design of their systems, analyze those designs for potential security issues using a proven methodology, and suggest and manage mitigations for security issues.
Using the SDL for LOB Windows 8 Apps
Learn how to build security into your Windows Store line-of-business apps with measurable results.
Web to Windows 8: Security
With Windows 8, JavaScript plays an important part in the overall security of your app by providing the tools necessary to secure data, validate input and separate potentially malicious content. This article will show you how you can adjust some of the habits you bring from web development so that you can produce more secure Windows Store apps using HTML5, JavaScript and the security features of the Windows Runtime.
Using the SDL for LOB Windows 8 Apps
Learn how to build security into your Windows Store line-of-business apps with measurable results.
Learn how to build security into your Windows Store line-of-business apps with measurable results.
Beyond the buzz of Web 2.0, mashup applications (also called hybrid or situational applications) bring the promise of creating meaningful experiences by feeding other people’s data to your application. Learn to mitigate security issues that can come along with a mashup application in this series of articles from MSDN’s Script Junkie.
| | | | | Cloud Security Corner | | | | | | Cloud Computing: Privacy, Confidentiality and the Cloud
If you’re in IT, you are frequently processing, storing, or transmitting data that is subject to regulatory and compliance requirements. When that data falls under regulatory or compliance restrictions, your choice of cloud deployment (whether private, hybrid or public) hinges on maintaining the security of information. Learn how to view the cloud as a golden opportunity to achieve better security.
| | | | | This Month's Security Bulletins | | | | | | September 2013 Security Bulletins
| | | September 2013 Security Bulletin Resources:
| | | | | Security Events and Training | | | | | | Microsoft SDL Training
Learn how to implement the foundational concepts of the Microsoft SDL and build better software. Topics include secure design, threat modeling, secure coding, security testing, and best practices surrounding privacy. This training is designed specifically for software development team members in technical roles (developers, testers, and program managers).
Microsoft Webcast: Information about the October 2013 Security Bulletin Release
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Join this webcast for a brief overview of the technical details of October’s Microsoft security bulletins. Ask questions and get answers from Microsoft security experts.
Microsoft Webcast: Information about the November 2013 Security Bulletin Release
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Join this webcast for a brief overview of the technical details of November’s Microsoft security bulletins. Ask questions and get answers from Microsoft security experts.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | microsoft.com/about/twc | Trustworthy Computing | | | | | | | | This is a monthly newsletter for IT professionals and developers–bringing security news, guidance, updates, and community resources directly to your inbox. If you would like to receive less technical security news, guidance, and updates, please subscribe to the Microsoft Security for Home Computer Users Newsletter.
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