Application security encompasses the comprehensive practices, processes, and controls designed to protect software applications from threats and vulnerabilities throughout their entire lifecycle. This discipline extends from initial architectural design and secure development through rigorous testing, deployment, ongoing maintenance, and eventual decommissioning. Its primary objective is to identify, prevent, detect, and remediate security weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise data integrity, confidentiality, and availability.

As an integral component of effective risk management, application security mandates the implementation of secure coding standards, robust architectural reviews, and continuous security testing—including static analysis, dynamic analysis, and penetration testing. By embedding security considerations into every phase of the software development lifecycle, organizations minimize their attack surface and create resilient applications capable of withstanding evolving cyber threats while safeguarding valuable information assets.