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SSCP Practice Question: Is implementing a secure software development…
An organization is implementing a secure software development lifecycle (SDLC). Which activity should be performed during the design phase to minimize security flaws?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between design-phase activities (like threat modeling) and implementation or testing-phase activities (like code review or DAST), so the trap is assuming that any security testing or patching belongs in the design phase.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Perform threat modeling to identify potential attack vectors.
Threat modeling is a proactive security activity performed during the design phase to identify potential attack vectors, trust boundaries, and threats before any code is written. By analyzing the system architecture and data flows, teams can mitigate security flaws early, reducing the cost and effort of fixing vulnerabilities later in the SDLC.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Perform threat modeling to identify potential attack vectors.
Why this is correct
Threat modeling in design phase identifies risks before coding.
- ✗
Run dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools.
Why it's wrong here
DAST is performed on running applications.
- ✗
Apply security patches to the development environment.
Why it's wrong here
Patching is operational, not design.
- ✗
Conduct a code review for security vulnerabilities.
Why it's wrong here
Code review occurs during development, not design.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SSCP exam.