[Trae Johnson]

Software Development Life Cycle or SDLC is a disciplined process that governs how software is planned, designed, developed, tested, and maintained. It gives a predictable and repeatable framework that assists organizations in creating reliable and secure applications. The reason the SDLC is important to the security officer is that it ensures security is not an afterthought; rather, it is an integral part of every phase of development. Early inclusion of security can help identify weaknesses before they become major threats.

According to the textbook, SDLC improves software quality by breaking development into clear, manageable phases and also reduces long-term costs because issues are discovered much earlier rather than after deployment, when they are far more expensive to fix. The assigned video highlights that each phase of the SDLC provides security professionals with an opportunity to assess the risks and ensure proper protections are built in. It also emphasizes the importance of documentation, which aids a security officer in tracing decisions, verifying compliance, and preparing for audits. For these reasons, the SDLC is a foundation of secure software creation and a crucial framework for any security officer responsible for protecting systems and data.