HAMPEL SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

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====== 09 Cybersecurity ======

<WRAP left round tip 60%>
**[[kb:bestpractices:wow:methodology#security_by_design|Security by Design]] is one of the guiding principles here at HSE.**
</WRAP>

===== General Principles =====

  * Treat all external input as untrusted
  * Prefer simple and explicit architectures
  * Fail safely and log security-relevant failures (log level WARNING)
  * Minimize the attack surface by exposing only the functionality that is actually required
  * Keep third-party dependencies as few as possible and up to date
  * Apply the principle of least privilege (both when developing and in the final product)
  * Do not reinvent the wheel (use existing encryption algorithms etc)
  * Review security implications during code reviews and design reviews, not only during testing

===== Secrets and Credentials =====

  * Choose secure defaults
  * Never hardcode:
    * passwords
    * API keys
    * certificates
    * tokens
    * database credentials
  * Do not store secrets in:
    * block diagram constants
    * typedef defaults
    * test VIs
    * screenshots
    * source-controlled config files
  * Do not log sensitive information
  * Solutions
    * "AES" VI Package by VIGods
    * Better: Store secrets in a place the regular user cannot access

===== Networking =====

  * Prefer encrypted communication (TLS, HTTPS, SSH)
  * Avoid plaintext credentials and insecure protocols
  * Validate remote peers (eg using certificates)
    * restrict access on a network level (IP ranges etc)
  * Use existing protocols
  * Explicitly document:
    * timeout behavior
    * reconnect strategy
    * retry handling

===== Databases and SQL =====

  * Use parameterized queries whenever possible
  * Avoid dynamically concatenating SQL strings from user input
  * Validate and sanitize externally provided data before database operations
  * Restrict database permissions to the minimum required access
  * Never store database credentials directly in source code
  * Log database failures without exposing sensitive query data
  * Explicitly handle connection loss and timeout behavior



===== LabVIEW Misc =====

==== VI Server ====

  * Disable VI Server if not required
  * Restrict network access and permissions
  * Never expose unrestricted VI Server access on production systems

==== Dynamic VI Loading ====

  * Only load trusted plugins or VIs
  * Avoid loading VIs from user-writable directories
  * Use strict connector pane contracts and versioning

==== System Exec ====

  * Treat all command line input as untrusted
  * Avoid constructing shell commands from unchecked user input
  * Document all external tool dependencies

==== File Handling ====

  * Validate file paths and filenames
  * Avoid path traversal vulnerabilities
  * Restrict writable and executable locations

===== DQMH and Modular Architectures =====

  * Encapsulate queues, references, and communication resources
  * Avoid exposing internal module resources
  * Validate message payloads and typedef compatibility
  * Keep security-related blocking operations outside the EHL

===== Logging and Error Handling =====

  * Log security-relevant events:
    * failed authentication
    * rejected certificates
    * malformed packets
    * permission violations
  * Logs should include:
    * timestamps
    * module names
    * severity
    * connection information
  * Avoid excessive logging in real-time loops

===== Deployment =====

  * Remove development tooling from production systems
  * Avoid unnecessary administrator privileges
  * Keep dependencies updated
  * Prefer signed installers and executables


===== Resources =====

  * [[kb:cs:cra|EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)]]


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<block 100%:0:#FFF8FF;#800080;1px dotted #800080;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif/10ptrounded>**[[https://createbettersoftware.com|The HSE Way of Working]]:** \\ 
A set of guidelines that recommend programming style, better practices, and methods for all our LabVIEW projects. We ask all our peers to follow these guidelines to help improve the readability of our shared source code and make software maintenance easier.</block>

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