Governance and Security Planning

Governance and security are critical components of the no-code development lifecycle, ensuring that applications are compliant, secure, and meet organizational standards. While no-code platforms simplify many aspects of application creation, governance and security checks are essential to avoid risks like data breaches, non-compliance, and unapproved application behavior.

• Governance refers to the policies, procedures, and controls put in place to ensure that no-code applications align with internal standards and external regulations. In no-code development, governance checks involve compliance with data protection laws, security protocols, and organizational policies. Governance ensures that applications are built consistently and can be maintained over time without creating unnecessary risks.

• Security in no-code development focuses on protecting applications from internal and external threats. No-code platforms often come with built-in security features, but teams must still follow best practices to protect data and ensure compliance.

The table below shows how governance and security play a role at key stages of the no-code lifecycle:

• Stage 1: Business Use Case. During the initial stage, governance considerations begin by identifying any regulatory or compliance requirements that apply to the application. This includes determining if sensitive data will be handled and planning for security needs early.

• Stage 2: Options Analysis. At this stage, it’s important to evaluate different solutions from a governance perspective, including how each solution meets data governance and security requirements.

• Stage 3: Design and Prototyping. As the application design is developed, ensure that governance and security best practices are considered. For example, involve IT and security teams in validating that the design meets organizational security standards.

• Stage 4: Project Assignment. Validate that the MVP plan considers governance checks and that the roles responsible for compliance and security are clearly assigned.

• Stage 5: Prototype to MVP. Conduct internal team reviews and ensure that data governance policies are followed as the MVP is built. Collaborating with IT and governance teams at this stage can help prevent security flaws from being introduced early during development.

• Stage 6: Feedback Loop. Use the feedback loop to identify governance and security issues that may arise as users interact with the MVP. Addressing these issues early can prevent compliance violations.

• Stage 7: Governance Checks. This stage focuses on formal governance and security reviews. Verify that the application complies with all necessary internal and external regulations before moving to production.

• Stage 8: First Release. Ensure that all final checks, including security validations, are completed before the application is released to users. This ensures the application is safe, compliant, and ready for broader use.

• Stage 12: Application Audit. Post-release, governance and security continue through regular audits to ensure that the application remains compliant, secure, and aligned with evolving business or regulatory requirements.

Where possible, you should begin to consider if governance and security checks should be automated to improve efficiency and reduce the risk of human error. Automated tools like the Governance App can continuously monitor compliance, access permissions, and security vulnerabilities.