2.3 Producing Robust Programs

2.3 Producing Robust Programs

1. Defence Techniques

   • Data Validation: check to ensure that the data entered is sensible and reasonable. It does not check the accuracy of data.
   • Data Sanitisation: Trims or strips strings, removing unwanted characters to make sure it contains only permitted characters . E.g. Da%ve the % would be removed.
   • Authentication: The process of verifying the identify of a user or process
   • Maintainability : Updating code so that it is compatible with current requirements
   • Comments: To help describe the code and structures in a program using #
   • Indentation: used to show the programs structure e.g. where selection or iteration or functions are used .

2. Misue Of A Program

   • Anticipating Misuse: Defensive program design will consider and anticipate misuse. Misuse may be in the form of a brute force attack on the program.
   • E.G Many programs and systems only allow a user to enter a password three or four times before it locks out the system.
   • Contingency Planning: Once a programmer has anticipated the misuse they can then plan for the these issues.
   • Limiting the number of logon attempts. Ensuring the code is robust in validating the data entered