The impact of cloud services on secure software development

The evolution of cloud computing has significantly changed the approaches to developing, testing, deploying, and securing software. The paper aimed to examine the integration of cloud technologies into all stages of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) with a focus on implementing and enforcing security practices throughout the development process. To achieve the objectives of the study, a comparative analysis was used that covers cloud implementations of the SDLC relative to traditional models in terms of key indicators: cost-effectiveness, speed of deployment, level of collaboration, scalability, and security. Real-world case studies that demonstrate the use of cloud tools and platforms were considered, including Infrastructure as Code and Continuous Integration/ Continuous Deployment, to increase productivity, agility, and early implementation of security controls (a “security shift to the left” approach). The analysis results has shown that the use of cloud practices in a secure SDLC helps to reduce time to market, increases the level of proactive security management, and supports iterative and agile development cycles. At the same time, challenges related to compliance with regulatory requirements, user identity management, and vendor lock-in risk were identified. A set of best practices for implementing secure cloud SDLC workflows was proposed and areas for further research are identified, including automated security testing and integration of artificial intelligence into secure software delivery processes. The practical value of the study lies in the formulation of recommendations that will help organisations create sustainable, efficient, and secure cloud development environments