Building Metrics to Quantify the Security of Software Components

Quantitative assessment of the security of software components is an essential but underdeveloped aspect in software engineering and cybersecurity. Although security analysis is increasingly being integrated into the software development phases, there are currently no universally accepted criteria that would allow a numerical comparison of the security level of different components. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for defining and applying metrics that enable such an assessment. The possibility of building a system that supports standardized, objective, and scalable security evaluation in development and integration environments is explored by analyzing fundamental software components and their evaluation based on clearly defined security properties. The results of the study open space for improvement of existing security practices and point to specific guidelines for integrating quantitative security assessment into the software development life cycle.