Best Code Signing Practices 2023

In today's digital era, increasing cyber-attacks have made code signing an essential aspect of security in the software development cycle. “Code Signing” is the process of adding a digital signature to software or code to ensure its authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation. It also verifies that the software or code has not been tampered with and that it comes from a trusted source.

Moreover, after you complete the process of obtaining a code signing certificate and that your certificate is issued by the certificate authority (CA), you should implement certain precautionary measures for storing the certificate, using it for code signing, and handling mechanisms to avoid the certificate details getting leaked or stolen by cyber criminals.

Thus, to boost software security and streamline the software development and distribution process, Let us take a glance at the Best Code Signing Practices to Follow in 2023:

Use a Strong Hashing Algorithm

A strong hashing algorithm is a cryptographic function that generates a unique hash value for a message, file, or piece of data. The hash value is a fixed-length string of characters that is unique to the original data, making it an essential tool in verifying the integrity and authenticity of data.

It is designed to be computationally difficult to reverse engineer, which means that it's practically impossible to derive the original data from the hash value. This makes it an effective tool for ensuring the security of digital information.

Examples of strong hashing algorithms include SHA-256, SHA-512, and BLAKE 2, which are widely used in software development and software security as modern cryptography tools.

Sign All the Codes

It's important to sign all code files, including executable files, dynamic link libraries (DLL), and installers. This practice ensures that the software or code is fully trusted, and it prevents any warnings or errors that may appear during installation or runtime.

Trusted Certificate Authority (CA)

A trusted CA verifies your identity and provides a digital signature that ensures the authenticity of your code. Moreover, a trusted certificate authority like "Comodo" or "Sectigo" has a good market reputation, and thus the product provided by such a CA will be genuine and authenticated.

Thus, it's beneficial for you to buy code signing certificate from a reputed or trusted Certificate Authority (CA).

Time-Stamping Digital Signature

Time stamping your digital signature ensures it will remain valid even if your code signing certificate expires. A timestamp like the popular RFC 3161-compliant server provides additional evidence that your code has not been tampered with since it was signed and maximum compatibility with different operating systems.

Safeguarding Private Key

Private Key is the most vital component of your code signing certificate, and it's essential to protect it from anyone other than the certificate holder from accessing it.

It is usually recommended to use a Hardware Security Module (HSM) to protect your private key from theft or misuse.

Testing Your Signed Code

After performing a code signing process, it’s always necessary to test your code on different operating systems and platforms to ensure maximum compatibility and avoid any errors in the code's functioning.

Conclusion

To sum up, implementing these best code signing practices enhances software security by safeguarding your software, applications, executables, and files from any cyber threats and ensuring a smooth development process.