Question
Clearly sourced
Expert knowledge for digital decisions
How Secure is Custom Software?
Short answer
Neither fundamentally more secure nor less secure than standard software – it depends on maintenance and care. Standard software is reviewed by many, but it is also a more lucrative target. Custom software is less in focus but only receives the attention that is paid for it.
The Honest Picture
Standard Software: many eyes, quick security updates – but a known vulnerability immediately affects thousands of installations and is exploited automatically.
Custom Software: not a mass target, no publicly known vulnerabilities – but also no one checking from the outside.
The crucial difference lies not in the type of software, but in whether it is maintained.
What Contributes to Security
- Current Dependencies. The most common cause of successful attacks is known vulnerabilities in outdated libraries.
- Permissions and Roles. Not every access needs every permission.
- Input Validation. Protection against classic attacks on web applications.
- Encryption during transmission and for sensitive data.
- Logging. Without logs, no one notices an access.
- Backups with verified restoration.
What You Can Demand
- Regular updates of dependencies as part of operations
- An automatic check for known vulnerabilities in the supply chain
- For sensitive applications: an external security audit
The Biggest Risk Factor
Not the code – the lack of maintenance. A well-built application that has not been updated for two years is vulnerable. Therefore, a maintenance contract is not an additional business but a prerequisite.
Key facts
- Crucial
- Whether it is maintained, not standard or custom
- Most Common Cause of Attacks
- Outdated dependencies