From vulnerability anti-patterns to secure design patterns

A secure design pattern is a well-proven reusable solution to a recurring security problem that arise in specific contexts. Using secure design patterns properly can help tackle software vulnerabilities during software development. However, the lack of selection guidance of secure patterns makes it more difficult for developers to use secure design patterns than conventional design patterns. To address this issue, this paper presents a methodology of selecting the appropriate secure design patterns for software vulnerabilities formalized in anti-patterns. This methodology bridges the gap between the vulnerabilities and secure design patterns to produce a useful tool for secure software development.