Building Secure and Scalable Custom Apps on ServiceNow

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1.  Security Starts Day One

Treat security as a design principle, not an afterthought.

• Smart Access Controls: Get granular with user permissions. Rely on ServiceNow’s native Access Controls to limit who can view or edit data—don’t default to “everyone can see everything.” Make regular permission reviews part of your maintenance routine.

• Modern Logins: Make multi-factor authentication (MFA) a must, and use Single Sign-On (SSO) whenever possible. This strengthens protection for all users, especially admins.

• Safe Data Sharing: When your app connects with other systems, stick to secure options like OAuth or trusted certificates. Limit what each integration can access and keep a close eye on traffic for anything unusual.

• Ongoing Vigilance: Enable notifications and logging for important security events (think: failed logins, admin access changes). Feed these logs into your organization’s overall monitoring so no threat slips through.

• Keep It Encrypted: Data privacy isn’t optional. Encrypt your data wherever it lives—at rest or in transit. ServiceNow provides strong tools for this, so take advantage of them.

 

2. Build for What’s Next (Scalability)

Your app should grow as fast as your business does, without performance headaches.

• Modular Designs: Split features into clear modules with defined boundaries. This keeps code clean and makes updates less risky.

• Less Code, More Configuration: Lean into ServiceNow’s existing features and settings wherever you can. The less custom code, the easier it’ll be to upgrade, scale, and troubleshoot later on.

• Separate and Conquer: Use app scopes to keep your customizations from clashing with other apps or base platform functions.

• Performance Strategies: Index data you’ll query often. Be sparing and intentional with client scripts. For heavy-lifting, use background jobs or asynchronous processing.

• Test Early, Test Often: Automate testing—look for bugs, performance issues, or sneaky security gaps before your users ever notice.

 

3. Plan for the Future

Launching your app isn’t the end—it’s the start of continuous improvement.

• Listen and Adjust: Gather ongoing feedback from real users. Monitor for slowdowns, errors, or security warnings, and be ready to tweak things as needed.

• Educate Your Team: It’s not just about the app—train your users and admins so security best practices become second nature.

• Stay Current: ServiceNow keeps evolving, and so do security threats. Always keep your instance updated, and keep tabs on new ServiceNow features and advisories.

Final Thoughts

The best ServiceNow custom applications blend greatsecurity with the flexibility to grow. By making thoughtful choices from the start and committing to continuous improvement, you’ll equip your organization not only to meet today’s needs—but tomorrow’s challenges as well.