How does secure coding prevent vulnerabilities?

Secure coding practices can prevent vulnerabilities during the software development process by implementing various measures such as input validation to ensure data is sanitized and free from malicious code, using secure encryption methods to protect sensitive information, implementing proper access controls to restrict unauthorized access to resources, and following secure coding guidelines such as avoiding hardcoded credentials and using parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Additionally, regularly updating software libraries and components, conducting security testing like static code analysis and penetration testing, and educating developers on secure coding best practices can also help prevent vulnerabilities in the software development lifecycle.