"Security isn't a feature I build; it's the lens through which I see the entire engineering process."
Architect: Muhammad Izaz Haider
Founder & Architect | DevSecOps | AI Security | Pentester
Most development workflows treat security as a final box to check. Code is written, then tested, then (maybe) scanned for vulnerabilities. This approach is fundamentally broken. It leads to:
- vulnerabilities discovered in production (expensive to fix).
- Emergency patches under high pressure.
- Lost customer trust and team burnout.
I built this Secure-First Protocol to demonstrate a different reality. Security is the foundation. By baking security into every step - from the first whiteboard sketch to the final commit - we don't just build safer software; we build better software, faster.
My Approach:
- Design with security (Threat Modeling).
- Code with tests (TDD).
- Ship with confidence.
- Zero Trust Architecture: Never trust by default. Every component must prove its identity. Authentication happens at every layer, not just the front door.
- Defense in Depth: Multiple layers of security. If one fails, others are waiting to catch the threat (Validation → Rate Limiting → Infrastructure Isolation).
- Write Tests While Coding: I don't test later. I write tests as I build. 50 lines of code → Test → Commit. This catches bugs instantly.
- Think on Paper First: I document requirements, threats, and failure modes before writing a single line of code.
- Git History as a Story: Every commit is a single logical unit with a clear "Why". No secrets, no mess.
- Attacker Mindset: I review my own code trying to break it. "Where can I inject malicious input? What if this fails?"
- Embrace Feedback: Security isn't about being perfect immediately; it's about relentless improvement through code review.
This dashboard visualizes my rigorous methodology:
- Foundation: deeply understand the business value and risk profile ("What if this leaks?").
- Planning: Analyze requirements for hidden security debts (Encryption, Access Control).
- Threat Modeling: Systematically dismantle the design (STRIDE) to kill vectors on the whiteboard.
- Architecture: Draw trust boundaries and apply the Principle of Least Privilege.
- Implementation: Write simple, readable code. Validate every input. No hardcoded secrets.
- Security Review: Automated static analysis + Manual logic review.
- Hardening: Strip unused features and dependencies. Reduce the attack surface.
- Re-Review: Verify hardening didn't break functionality.
- Testing: Test the "Evil Path" (Fuzzing, Injection, Edge cases).
- Approval: Sign-off on risk acceptance, not just functionality.
- Commit: Clean, atomic commits with clear reasoning.
- Maintenance: Constant vigilance. Logs, alerts, and patches.
- Feedback: The end is just the beginning of the next iteration.
This repository contains the interactive visualization of this workflow:
index.html: The Dashboard. An interactive guide through the 12-step execution model.writeup.html: The Philosophy. A deep-dive narrative into the "Secure-First" mindset.profile.html: The Architect. Professional profile of Muhammad Izaz Haider.
- HTML5: Semantic and accessible structure.
- Tailwind CSS: Utility-first styling for a premium, responsive dark-mode aesthetic.
- Vanilla JavaScript: Lightweight, performance-focused interaction logic.
- Google Fonts: Cinzel (Headers) and Inter (Body) for high-end typography.
"This is how I work. Systematic. Relentless. Secure." Not because I'm paranoid. Because I've learned that building it right the first time is faster than fixing it in production.
Bismillah - Alhamdulilah - Inshallah. Always. 🔒✨
© 2025 Muhammad Izaz Haider. All rights reserved.