Security by Design: Building Apps with Cybersecurity in Mind

You see it in the news all the time, 10 Billions names and passwords stolen from the BobSpace App user base, or Generic Bank App is hacked and customers get their money stolen. And everybody asks, “How could this happen, aren’t apps safe and secure?” The short answer is… “It depends”.

App security doesn't just magically happen, security has to be designed and built into an app. Whether for web or mobile, you need to design security into the app code base, its UX and its Infrastructure. It is all part of Security By Design.

Nowadays, Security by Design is not an option, but a critical necessity due to the numerous threats to which technology is exposed every second of every day. As a result of the increase in cyber attacks happening every day, more and more developers, teams and architects are taking on the task of incorporating cybersecurity into app code.

Over the last decade, IT teams have learned that building cybersecurity into software from the very beginning leads to fewer system failures and stronger overall security. Waiting until after an application is built — or worse, after it has been attacked — to add security controls is both more expensive and less effective. Imagine building a house and only installing locks and alarms after a burglary. By then, damage is done, repairs are costly, and trust is lost. The same applies to app development.

Today, developers focus on “security by design”, meaning they create applications with security in mind from day one. This involves designing the architecture to handle potential threats, applying secure coding practices, and testing for vulnerabilities before release. For example, a team building a healthcare app might encrypt patient data, implement strong user authentication, and run penetration tests before the app goes live. These measures not only reduce risks but also meet users’ expectations for safe, reliable technology they can trust with their personal information.

What is Security by Design?

Security by design refers to the set of practices implemented from the outset of an app's development, when all the risks faced by systems are taken into account, which may come from any platform or ecosystem in which the apps are managed. Thus, applying security by design is a best practice to ensure that the lifetime of products is covered by a secure system capable of reducing the attacks they are exposed to.

Integrating cybersecurity from the very beginning of development leads to faster, more efficient, and safer applications. This is why technology companies have a responsibility to make cybersecurity a core part of product design rather than treating it as an afterthought. By doing so, they can prevent security problems before they ever occur, instead of relying on the traditional (and often costly) approach of waiting until flaws are discovered and then rushing to fix them. This proactive strategy saves time, reduces costs, and protects users from potential harm.

The design phase of an app project is the most critical stage for building security into an application. At this stage, developers can plan for features such as encryption, access control, secure data storage, and regular security testing. They can also identify potential threats - for example, the risk of unauthorized access or data leaks - and design safeguards to prevent them. By addressing these risks from the ground up, development teams create systems that are more resilient, easier to maintain, and better equipped to protect sensitive user data throughout the app’s lifecycle.

Secure by Design Apps: Key Strategies

Here are some key strategies and cybersecurity trends you can implement to ensure that your products are secure by design. Given the importance of security no longer being an afterthought and with a commitment to complying with current security regulations, we suggest some strategies that can ensure the successful deployment of your technology products.

Threat Modeling

Threat modeling is a process that uses different strategies to address cybersecurity. This model involves thinking like an attacker to identify weak points where defense should be prioritized. Performing this step in the early stages of design will allow the approach to be integrated into the app's life cycle.

Risk detection is key for a robust system to respond to threats that put data at risk. A system should function predictively rather than correctively, as this makes it more efficient at prevention, meaning it becomes a proactive feature.

This practice must be applied throughout the product's life cycle, meaning that security must be considered for each system update. That way, the system will remain up to date with current defense needs, as attackers are always looking for new ways to attack vulnerable systems.

Least Privilege

Apps should only request the minimum access necessary to function, thus reducing the margin for error in terms of user data access. Limited access minimizes the margin of error regarding system vulnerability. Likewise, users will also have limited access to system data.

The least privilege practice means that external app services will have access to temporary permissions, allowing them to perform only specific actions. This way, threats will not be able to penetrate vulnerable data in the event of an attack.

Defense in Depth

Defense in depth is the practice of adding as many layers of security to a system as possible, so that sensitive data is reinforced through the advanced use of cybersecurity. The combination of different security factors will complement each other to respond effectively.

Some of the measures you may have considered could fail when facing an attack, but it will not be easy for all of them to fail. Therefore, you should not rely on a single security measure to ensure the security of a system.

The Role of Infrastructure in Security by Design

Infrastructure plays a critical role in the Security by Design process because the security of an application is only as strong as the environment in which it runs. Even the most securely coded app can be vulnerable if it is deployed on poorly configured servers, insecure networks, or unmanaged cloud resources.

Security by Design requires developers and architects in any sized company to consider infrastructure as part of the overall threat model from day one. This means evaluating the operating systems, cloud platforms, networks, and deployment pipelines that will host the application and ensuring they are configured to minimize risk.

Key Areas of Infrastructure to Secure

When designing infrastructure for an application, developers must think holistically. Core areas include:

Hosting Environment:

Whether using cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) or on-premises servers, developers must configure secure virtual networks, segment workloads, and use hardened operating system images.

Network Security:

Firewalls, network segmentation, VPNs, and zero-trust network models help control access to application services.

Identity and Access Management (IAM):

Properly configured IAM ensures that only authorized users, services, and processes can access critical resources. This includes enforcing least privilege and using role-based access controls.

Data Security:

Infrastructure should support encryption at rest and in transit, secure key management, and proper database configuration to prevent leaks or unauthorized access.

Monitoring and Logging:

Centralized logging, SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools, and intrusion detection systems allow teams to quickly detect and respond to suspicious activity.

Deployment and Automation:

Using secure CI/CD pipelines with signed images, vulnerability scanning, and automated compliance checks prevents insecure code or configurations from reaching production.

Infrastructure Security Options and Best Practices

Developers and architects have a range of security options available depending on the application’s risk profile and compliance requirements. For instance, they can use cloud-native security services like AWS Security Hub or Azure Defender to continuously monitor for misconfigurations. For sensitive data, they may adopt hardware security modules (HSMs) for encryption key management. If high availability is a priority, they can design redundant and failover systems that are secure by default, ensuring attackers cannot exploit downtime to compromise the system.

For example, imagine a fintech startup building a payment processing app. As part of Security by Design, the team might deploy the app on a virtual private cloud (VPC) with strict network segmentation, enable encryption for all stored transaction data, implement multi-factor authentication for internal dashboards, and set up continuous vulnerability scanning. This approach ensures that not only is the application code secure, but the entire infrastructure supporting it is designed to withstand attacks.

Conclusion: Making Security by Design the Standard

Security by Design is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s a necessity in today’s threat-filled digital landscape. As the number of cyberattacks continues to rise, users have higher expectations than ever for the safety of their data and the reliability of the apps they depend on. Developers, architects, and technology leaders must recognize that security cannot be bolted on after the fact. It must be an intentional, ongoing practice that shapes every part of the development lifecycle — from the app’s code and user experience to its infrastructure and deployment pipelines.

By implementing strategies such as threat modeling, least privilege, and defense in depth, and by designing secure infrastructure from day one, organizations can drastically reduce vulnerabilities and improve resilience against attacks. This proactive approach not only saves time and money but also helps preserve user trust, meet regulatory requirements, and create applications that can withstand evolving security challenges.

Ultimately, Security by Design is about building technology that people can depend on - applications that protect sensitive data, minimize risk, and deliver a safe, seamless user experience. Teams that prioritize security early and often are the ones most likely to succeed in today’s competitive, security-conscious market. The question is no longer “Can we afford to design for security?” but rather, “Can we afford not to?”

To have a deeper conversation about which architecture will be best for your digital development project, please CONTACT ScreamingBox .

Check out our Podcast on CyberSecurity for an in-depth look at how companies are dealing with CyberSecurity and what are the latest trends to address security threats..