The past couple of years has been rife with software vulnerabilities that have led to some very serious consequences. Credit card and financial hacks from major businesses are being announced several times a year. Applications in the Google Play store have been found to be Trojan horse fronts to gain access to sensitive information stored on mobile phones. Bugs like Heartbleed have caused panic, and both Apple and Snapchat are under scrutiny for massive nude photo leaks.

With no clear way of telling how these vulnerabilities are being exploited, or by who, user trust is at an all time low. It is no wonder, as they have been shown quite clearly that any expectation of privacy they once had were completely overestimated. They have no privacy or security at all, at least that is how they are currently feeling.

The Problem With Current Software

This puts many of us in a difficult bind. A lot of software uses the same kind of coding, which is most responsible for the vulnerabilities. For example, improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command. While many software developers have put protections into place, like two-step verification, or Google’s team up with FIDO Alliance to introduce a physical drive for getting past authorization requests, there is still a risk.

How can you be sure the software you use is free of vulnerabilities? There is no 100% way, because even the smallest crack can be ripped wide and exploited if found. But you can lessen the chances of this happening to you by developing your own software.

Taking Things Into Your Own Hands

Your business needs software, and it needs to be as safe as possible. By being a part of the process and developing something custom, you are putting in every effort to make sure it is safe for your customers. This can save you a lot of grief and money in the long run, because the second a vulnerability leads to a hack or leak, you can be sure the consequences will be dire. Especially if you are a small to medium sized business.

Another benefit is that a custom piece of software will have exactly what your customers (and by extension your business) needs.

Don’t leave things up to fate. The only person you can rely on is yourself and your team, so you should all be a part of the development process to ensure you have the best and safest software possible for your business.