SECAI Core · phase 12 of 15
Secure Software Development Life Cycle
A method of system development that incorporates security controls in every phase of the system's lifecycle.
The Explain card
- Plain English
- A Secure SDLC builds security controls into every phase of software development, from requirements through design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance, instead of bolting them on at the end.
- Example
- An AI team adds threat modelling at design, prompt injection tests in CI, model provenance checks at build, and output monitoring in production, so security is a stage gate rather than a final audit.
- Why it matters
- AI features ship fast and touch untrusted data constantly. A Secure SDLC catches flaws when they are cheap to fix and makes security repeatable instead of heroic.
- Hook
- Security as a lane on the road, not a toll booth at the end.
Where it sits in the deck
Phase 12: Defensive Technologies and Secure Development Practices
Map defences directly to the attacks just catalogued — the technical controls, secure coding practices, and protective tools that harden AI and traditional systems alike.
