What do secure coding guidelines aim to achieve?

Secure coding guidelines are primarily designed to minimize exploitable vulnerabilities during the software development process. These guidelines provide developers with best practices and standards necessary to write code that is less susceptible to attacks. By following these guidelines, developers can identify potential security weaknesses in their code early in the development lifecycle, which helps to prevent vulnerabilities that could otherwise be exploited by attackers.

The focus is on teaching developers how to avoid common security pitfalls, such as buffer overflows, injection flaws, and improper authentication. The implementation of secure coding practices leads to the creation of more resilient applications, which ultimately contributes to the overall security posture of the organization.

While other objectives, such as enhancing software design aesthetics, maximizing application speed and efficiency, or ensuring compliance, may play roles in software development, they are not the primary focus of secure coding guidelines. Such guidelines prioritize security to protect both the software and its users from potential threats.