2.3 Robust Programming

2.3 Robust Programming

1. Producing robust programs so that they are defensive against hacks and attacks.

2. Data Validation

   • check to ensure that the data entered is sensible and reasonable. It does not check the accuracy of data.

3. Data Sanitation

   • Trims or strips strings, removing unwanted characters to make sure it contains only permitted characters . E.g. Da%ve the % would be removed.

4. Authentication

   • The process of verifying the identify of a user or process

5. Maintainablility

   • Updating code so that it is compatible with current requirements

6. Comments

   • To help describe the code and structures in a program using #

7. 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.

8. Contingency planning

   • Once a programmer has anticipated the misuse they can then plan for the these issues. For example: Limiting the number of logon attempts. Ensuring the code is robust in validating the data entered

9. Testing Methods

   • Iterative Testing
     • This happens overtime and is repeated throughout the development of the program
       • Syntax errors
         • An error in the rules/grammar of the language Eg missing colon / spelling mistake
   • Final Testing
     • is when the product is released and real end users begin using it. Very often, end users find things wrong with systems that the programmers did not expect.
   • Logic Errors
     • The program is written to do something other than what the programmer intended Eg Resetting only the first 9 elements in an array instead of all 10.
   • Test data
     • Something which has been specifically identified for use in tests, typically of a computer program

Images and files in the map