The SPLWD (Student Profiling for Learners with Disabilities) system handles sensitive educational data and personal information of students with disabilities. We take security seriously and are committed to protecting this information through robust security measures and responsible disclosure practices.

We actively maintain and provide security updates for the following versions:

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it immediately. Do not create a public GitHub issue for security vulnerabilities.

Primary Contact:

• Email: izeno.contact@gmail.com
• Subject: "SPLWD Security Vulnerability Report"
• Response Time: Within 24 hours

Please include the following information in your security report:

1. Vulnerability Description

   • Type of vulnerability (e.g., SQL injection, XSS, authentication bypass)
   • Affected components or pages
   • Potential impact assessment

2. Reproduction Steps

   • Detailed steps to reproduce the vulnerability
   • Required conditions or configurations
   • Screenshots or proof-of-concept code (if applicable)

3. Environment Details

   • PHP version
   • MySQL version
   • Browser and version (for client-side issues)
   • Operating system

4. Suggested Fix (if known)

   • Proposed solution or mitigation
   • Code patches (if available)

Subject: SPLWD Security Vulnerability Report

Vulnerability Type: [e.g., SQL Injection]
Severity: [Critical/High/Medium/Low]
Affected Component: [e.g., Student Search Function]

Description:
[Detailed description of the vulnerability]

Steps to Reproduce:
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]

Impact:
[Potential consequences if exploited]

Environment:
- PHP Version: [version]
- MySQL Version: [version]
- Browser: [browser and version]

Suggested Fix:
[If you have suggestions]

• Encrypted Storage: All student data is encrypted at rest
• Access Controls: Role-based access with principle of least privilege
• Audit Logging: All data access is logged and monitored
• Data Minimization: Only necessary data is collected and stored

• Secure Password Policies: Minimum 8 characters with complexity requirements
• Session Management: Secure session handling with timeout
• Multi-Factor Authentication: Available for administrator accounts
• Account Lockout: Protection against brute force attacks

• Prepared Statements: All queries use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection
• Database Encryption: Sensitive fields are encrypted using AES-256
• Connection Security: SSL/TLS encryption for database connections
• Regular Backups: Encrypted backups with secure storage

• Input Validation: All user inputs are validated and sanitized
• Output Encoding: XSS prevention through proper output encoding
• CSRF Protection: Cross-site request forgery tokens on all forms
• File Upload Security: Strict file type validation and scanning

• Regular Updates: Operating system and software patches
• Firewall Configuration: Restrictive firewall rules
• Intrusion Detection: Monitoring for suspicious activities
• SSL/TLS: HTTPS encryption for all communications

• Environment Variables: Sensitive configuration in .env files
• Secret Management: Secure storage of API keys and credentials
• Code Repository: No sensitive data in version control
• Deployment Security: Secure deployment processes

We regularly perform:

• Static Code Analysis: Automated code security scanning
• Dependency Scanning: Third-party library vulnerability checks
• SQL Injection Testing: Automated SQL injection detection
• XSS Testing: Cross-site scripting vulnerability scanning

• Penetration Testing: Regular security assessments
• Code Reviews: Security-focused code reviews
• Access Control Testing: Role and permission verification
• Data Flow Analysis: Tracking sensitive data handling

Before submitting code, ensure:

• All user inputs are validated
• SQL queries use prepared statements
• File uploads are properly validated
• Input length limits are enforced

• Proper authentication checks
• Role-based access controls
• Session management is secure
• Password handling follows best practices

• Sensitive data is encrypted
• No hardcoded credentials
• Proper error handling (no information disclosure)
• Audit logging for sensitive operations

• XSS prevention through encoding
• CSRF tokens on forms
• Secure headers are set
• No sensitive data in client-side code

• Hardcode credentials in source code
• Store passwords in plain text
• Trust user input without validation
• Expose sensitive data in error messages
• Use deprecated cryptographic functions
• Commit sensitive data to version control
• Disable security features for convenience
• Use default passwords or weak authentication

• Immediate Assessment: Evaluate the scope and impact
• Evidence Collection: Preserve logs and system state
• Impact Analysis: Determine affected users and data

• Immediate Containment: Stop the attack in progress
• System Isolation: Isolate affected systems if necessary
• Vulnerability Patching: Apply fixes to prevent recurrence

• System Restoration: Restore services safely
• Monitoring: Enhanced monitoring post-incident
• Documentation: Document lessons learned and improvements

We track the following security metrics:

• Vulnerability Response Time: Average time to patch vulnerabilities
• Security Test Coverage: Percentage of code covered by security tests
• Failed Login Attempts: Monitoring for brute force attacks
• Data Access Patterns: Unusual data access monitoring

• COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)

• OWASP Top 10
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• ISO 27001

• OWASP PHP Security Cheat Sheet

We appreciate security researchers who help improve our security. Responsible disclosure will be acknowledged in:

• Security Advisory: Public acknowledgment (with permission)
• Hall of Fame: Recognition on our website
• Direct Communication: Personal thanks from the development team

For critical security issues requiring immediate attention:

• Email: izeno.contact@gmail.com
• Subject: "URGENT: SPLWD Security Issue"
• Response: Within 2 hours during business hours

• GitHub Security Advisories: For public vulnerabilities
• Email Notifications: For users who have registered
• Documentation Updates: Security-related changes

• Critical Vulnerabilities: Immediate patches
• High Severity: Within 48 hours
• Medium/Low Severity: Next scheduled release

• Quarterly Security Reviews: Comprehensive security assessments
• Annual Penetration Testing: Third-party security testing
• Compliance Audits: FERPA and local regulation compliance

• Security Policies: Maintained and updated regularly
• Incident Reports: Documented for compliance and learning
• Training Records: Security awareness training documentation

Last Updated: May 28, 2025
Version: 1.0

For questions about this security policy, please contact: izeno.contact@gmail.com

Remember: Security is everyone's responsibility. When in doubt, ask!