🔒 Why Does Secure Software Matter?

📚 Syllabus Dot Point

Describe the benefits of developing secure software
Including: data protection, minimising cyber attacks and vulnerabilities

Secure software is software that has been deliberately designed, coded, and tested to resist attacks, protect user data, and continue functioning correctly even when someone tries to exploit it. It is not an optional extra — it is a fundamental requirement of professional software engineering.

Think of it this way: a house with no locks, no alarm, and windows left open is not a real house — it is an invitation. Software without security is the same. Every line of code that handles user data, accepts input, or connects to a network is a potential door that attackers can try to open.

🇦🇺 Australian Context: Optus & Medibank (2022)

In 2022, Australia experienced two of its worst-ever data breaches. Optus had 10 million customer records stolen (names, dates of birth, passport numbers, driver's licences) because of an unsecured API endpoint — a door that was left unlocked. Medibank had 9.7 million health records stolen and published on the dark web. These breaches led to the Australian Government increasing privacy penalties to $50 million per breach. Both could have been prevented with secure software practices.