What are the different types of code review, and why do you need them?
What is a software code review/audit?
A secure code review, otherwise known as code security analysis, points to the thorough inspection of application source code. The main motive behind a secure code review process is to analyse the project architecture, used tools and core technologies in detail. Code reviewers ensure that all hidden architecture flaws, security vulnerabilities and control lags connected to the target code get unfolded.
So, what makes a good audit service? In fact, code audit services aid in flushing out-of-date tools, uncovering security risks and discovering inappropriate development practices that wraps a product. The very process has significance for the entire lifecycle of products. The right code review process can help a product, improving its quality, maturity, and maintainability to the optimum.
Different types of code review services
There exist different code reviews, and each differs by its corresponding objective. Checking the entire product isn’t that essential as it takes too much time and effort. Sometimes, you require testing distinct parts of the product to understand where the fault/risk lies. So, let’s find out the different types of software code reviews that exist: –
⦁ Front-end review
This kind of code review reveals or unfolds issues that affect the user-experience of products. The audit checks how responsive the product behaves to the outside world and the performance hurdles that stick the way. The process contains two subsets of actions, namely website performance review and checking responsiveness.
The former audit process includes inspecting image and font sizes, sorting out unnecessary files and weak code structure. These all can push your website performance down. A performance audit can help you determine the factors affecting the product speed and provide solutions to fix the same.
Responsiveness is a vital element to inspect when everyone looks digital ahead. While websites are getting built for web traffic, responsive designs may face other issues regarding page position. You should know that Google primarily crawls the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. Therefore, responsiveness shoots a vital element to inspect for a better-ranked position.
⦁ Back-end review
Back-end source code review inspects the overall code complexity, detecting if it can withstand and handle security threats. Here the reviewer checks issues related to code structure and other technological concerns (outdated tools) that wraps up the source code.
It is much needed to inspect if any conventional or outdated tools stick under the code umbrella. Alongside, a secure code audit checks the code structure, pinpointing if the code adheres to the essential standards and patterns.
⦁ Architecture review
The specific form of audit focuses on the server platform. The server set-up needs to get designed securely and timely updated. The process ensures that there aren’t any potential risks connected to the infrastructure of the developed product.
By performing an infrastructure audit, enterprises could examine if their systems are running on the right track. Likewise, the audit can help you enhance the site speed by optimizing the servers. The audit also helps to secure spaces in the cloud by identifying if the product uses extra cloud spaces or servers.
⦁ Security review
A security audit/review is a secure code review that helps find weaknesses, flaws and risks residing in the source code. By performing the audit, you can detect hidden vulnerabilities in the codebase that can someway drive a security breach. Security reviews help prevent security risks such as data leakage by finding what are the vulnerable components in the software code.
Also, by having the audit in shape, you can avoid additional costs consumed for bug fixing. It can deliver a code audit checklist, entailing recommended action plans/roadmap for addressing the found vulnerabilities of the code.
Significance of Secure Code Review
⦁ Exploring weak points of source code
Weaknesses and risks can sprout at any time, irrespective of software product time. Whether yours is a new project or an old one, weak points could exist. Source code review is an effective process to determine these weak spots of the codebase and patch them on time. Similarly, audits can hook up the outdated frameworks and dependency libraries which are no longer adequate or supported. Audits are also a means to get effective action plans about your existing technology stacks – whether or not to switch them.
⦁ Defining scalability of the product
Determining scalability is vital when you want your product to stretch its functions or features to the time ahead. When enterprises look to scale their products ahead, they must ensure there are no potential risks that stick by. An efficient and secure source code review can promise if your software system could rise successfully. It can help you find out how well your product could handle workloads, manage updates and the expansive capabilities.
⦁ Improving adaptability of the product
Maintainability is yet another factor inspected to the core. Nowadays, software codes mostly rely on time constraints. Therefore, they lack quality and probably faces issues and bugs in the long run. Obsolete tools, technologies and weak code structures can be a big hurdle considering product enhancement. Code reviews can help the codebase adhere to the best practices, guidelines and standards required for its growth.
⦁ Enhancing the security of products
Data security is one important thing to look at in today’s digital backdrop of applications. Many enterprises still don’t consider it until a breach coincides and surfaces their business. Due to lack of security investment, intrusions and data corruption levels have gone up. A week code base can drive a considerable amount of risk vectors which can turn into a breach within no time. Conducting code review services would help enterprises early-detect these threats and promptly address them. It can indeed safeguard and prevent data leakage, enhancing product security.
Tips to consider for code audit service
⦁ Find the right service partner
Connecting the right service partner who outsources code review as services can have a better impact than going for internal reviews. Source code review companies possess much knowledge on the latest cyber threats and will have a healthy attitude and structure for the review process. Additionally, they can provide you with some extra knowledge on best practices for secure code development.
⦁ Provide the complete scope to inspect
Having a defined scope for checking your codebase can drive better results. You need to have a list of scoping before the audit initiates. Also, it can help the auditing process go smoother and more efficient as all the critical areas get covered. Moreover, it can save time and cost by checking only the required and relevant parts of the code. However, you need to ensure that every critical area gets covered.
⦁ Perform manual and automated testing
That’s exactly how it needs to go! You need to blend both manual and automated testing to find the sophisticated threats within the codebase. While manual testing can prove beneficial to detect risks that stick to the surface, automation can help you dig deeper and have a detailed report. By incorporating automated tools, it can buy you time and efficiency. So, the best review is the right blend of manual and automated testing.
⦁ Routine audits are a healthy key
Having code reviews during different phases of the development cycle can have healthy reflections in terms of security. Periodic reviews help detect threats at the early stages that aid in early rectification. Enterprises need to stem their product issues before they turn out severe. Later you are to discover, more will be the expense and critical aftermaths.
Summing Up
Enterprises can launch a software product without getting it audited. There is no specific condition connected to this, but the risks are too high. It is the call of application owners to test their code or wait for an issue to happen. If you require to be on the safe side, secure code review is a beneficial option to search, detect and address issues before they turn harmful.
Connecting code audit services opens a healthy pathway for enterprises, testing their code to secure track. Enterprise software products will get best inspected for code quality, security vulnerability, scalability, performance, architecture analysis and maintainability. As a result, enterprises can eliminate those bugs and risks that lurk inside their codebase. Incorporating the audit as a part of the software development lifecycle can benefit the products in the long run
