Security Policy

1. Our Commitment to Security

At Smith Software Consulting LLC, security is not an afterthought—it's built into every phase of our development process. We are committed to protecting our clients' data, applications, and infrastructure through industry best practices and continuous improvement.

2. Secure Development Lifecycle

2.1 Design Phase

• Threat modeling and security requirements analysis
• Security architecture reviews
• Data classification and protection planning
• Compliance requirement identification

2.2 Development Phase

• Secure coding practices following OWASP guidelines
• Automated code reviews and static analysis
• Dependency vulnerability scanning
• Peer code reviews with security focus
• Unit and integration tests including security scenarios

2.3 Testing Phase

• Security testing and penetration testing
• Authentication and authorization testing
• Input validation and sanitization verification
• SQL injection and XSS prevention testing

3. Infrastructure Security

3.1 Cloud Security

• Security groups and network ACLs configured with least privilege
• Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) with proper segmentation
• Encryption at rest and in transit using industry standards (AES-256, TLS 1.3)
• Regular security patches and updates
• Multi-factor authentication for administrative access

3.2 Access Control

• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Principle of least privilege
• Regular access reviews and audits
• Strong password policies and MFA requirements
• Automated credential rotation

4. Data Protection

• Encryption: Data encrypted at rest and in transit
• Backups: Regular automated backups with encryption and tested recovery procedures
• Data Minimization: Collect and retain only necessary data
• Anonymization: Personal data anonymized or pseudonymized where possible
• Secure Disposal: Secure deletion and media destruction procedures

5. Monitoring and Logging

• Centralized logging and audit trails
• Real-time security monitoring and alerting
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Log retention policies complying with regulatory requirements
• Regular log analysis and anomaly detection

6. Incident Response

We maintain a comprehensive incident response plan that includes:

• Identification: Continuous monitoring to detect security incidents
• Containment: Immediate action to limit impact and prevent spread
• Investigation: Root cause analysis and evidence collection
• Remediation: Fix vulnerabilities and restore normal operations
• Notification: Timely communication to affected parties as required
• Post-Incident Review: Lessons learned and process improvements

7. Third-Party Security

We carefully evaluate the security posture of third-party services and vendors:

• Security assessments of third-party tools and services
• Vendor security questionnaires and due diligence
• Regular reviews of third-party access and permissions
• Contractual security and confidentiality requirements

8. Employee Security

• Background checks for employees with data access
• Regular security awareness training
• Secure development training and certification
• Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements
• Clear security policies and procedures

9. Compliance

We design systems with compliance in mind and can accommodate various regulatory frameworks including:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
• HIPAA (for healthcare-adjacent projects)
• SOC 2 principles
• PCI DSS (for payment processing)

10. Reporting Security Issues

If you discover a security vulnerability in our systems or services, please report it to us immediately:

11. Updates to This Policy

We regularly review and update our security practices. This policy will be updated to reflect changes in our security program. Check this page periodically for updates.