Business protection strategy: Guiding executives on securing their enterprises against software vulnerabilities
Top-notch software development, with its intricate layers and the constant rush to release new features, is making app security a growing conundrum. It's like trying to catch a snake in a room full of mirrors.
The raw truth? Developer environments across the board are teeming with significant security risks, according to research by Legit Security. Daggone freakin' right, there are high or critical risks in every single company's developer setup that they checked!
Calming down, let's dive deeper. Application security isn't just about finding flaws in the source code anymore. The landscape has evolved, and the attack surface for applications has expanded. It's like playing a game of Whac-a-Mole, except the holes just keep popping up.
Now, you might be wondering, "What can we do about this mess?" Well, businesses have to assess their own app security risks and tackle them effectively. Here's the lowdown.
Here's How to Tie App Security Risk to Software Complexity
Get the low-down on software complexity and app security
App security is set against an increasingly risky backdrop. Software development has become complex, thanks to the adoption of microservices, edge computing, and distributed systems across hybrid clouds, as informed by Kelvin Lim, senior director, head of security engineering at Black Duck. This "significantly expands the attack surface," making it a challenge to secure every component.
Pressure from business leaders to speed up development can also create issues. Developers might focus more on delivering features quickly than on ensuring security, leading to inadequate testing and oversight when it comes to new code. Bharat Mistry, field CTO at Trend Micro, emphasizes this point by saying, "This focus on rapid deployment can result in security measures being overlooked."
Be Aware of the Risks and the Solutions
Applications can be exposed to SQL injection attacks and a host of authentication and access control failures that make sensitive data easy pickings for cybercriminals. Ann Maya, EMEA CTO at Boomi, uses the Trello breach as an example, where a threat actor exploited an open API endpoint, gaining access to information on 15 million registered users. Ouch!
Embrace a Strategic Approach to Application Security
Supply chain incidents are now a significant source of breaches. Jeff Watkins, chief technology officer at CreateFuture, explains that application security problems can be incredibly insidious, especially in the case of a supply chain attack, and may require extensive efforts to remediate.
A notable example of a supply chain attack is the SolarWinds attack, which saw adversaries exploit weaknesses in the application to gain access to sensitive information. As Bharat Mistry, field CTO at Trend Micro, puts it, "This highlighted how vulnerabilities in software supply chains can trigger massive data breaches affecting thousands of organizations."
Another infamous case is the Log4j vulnerability, or Log4Shell, a critical security flaw discovered within the widely-used Java logging library. As Mistry notes, "The discovery of Log4j sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community, leading to widespread panic as organizations scrambled to assess their exposure and implement patches."
The Role of AI in Application Security
The inclusion of AI in software development and live systems adds yet another layer of complexity to app security. According to Legit's application security report, 46% of firms are using AI models in source code in a risky way, and many security teams are unaware where AI is in use within their organizations, a phenomenon known as "shadow AI."
Yet, AI can't be ignored, given its growing role in software coding. By 2028, Gartner predicts that 75% of enterprise software engineers will use AI code assistants, potentially leading to even more pressure on security teams.
But hey, there's a silver lining! AI could also be used as a countermeasure, providing better application security tooling to organizations. It is especially useful when monitoring generative interactions that would be difficult to secure using traditional tooling.
Stepping up Your Application Security Game
So, what should you do to manage these risks? Here are some practical recommendations.
Secure Your Development Environments
Secure your development environments by applying the least privilege principle. This means giving each user and component the least access they need to do their job, minimizing the potential damage an attacker could do if they manage to break in.
Embrace a "Shift-Left Security Approach"
To boost app security within your business, incorporate security practices early in the software development lifecycle through developer training in secure coding and integrating security tools into the CI/CD pipeline.
Establish Supply Chain Governance
Implementing supply chain governance via a software bill of materials (SBOM) helps track components and vulnerabilities, ensuring transparency and security in third-party and open-source components.
Adopt a DevSecOps Approach
Take a DevSecOps approach and continuously integrate security into your software composition analysis, static application security testing, and dynamic application security testing tooling. Ensure strict dependency management and container scanning are part of your practice to keep your code and the code in your supply chain secure.
Get Serious About Secrets Management
Even if your code is secrets-free, a whopping 36% of those surveyed had secrets posted elsewhere, such as logs, tickets, and documents, as revealed by Legit's report. So, it's important to get serious about secrets management.
Adopt a Centralized API Management Strategy
Organizations can consider a centralized API management strategy that considers all their integration, automation, data, and security requirements.
Mitigate API Security Risks
To mitigate API security risks, establish a system to detect all APIs attached to a gateway, identify metadata like usage, and root out "zombie APIs" or "shadow APIs" that are hiding under IT's radar. Ensure you can check quality, security, and validate APIs as they're introduced into your environment.
Regular Testing and Patch Management
Implement strong authentication and authorization controls, validate and sanitize input data, and use security logging and monitoring to secure the data flow. Regular testing, patch management, and software updates for APIs are essential to maintaining systems' overall security and mitigating app security risks.
By implementing these strategies, businesses can effectively manage application security risks in the complex software landscape of today.
- The complexity in software development, driven by the adoption of microservices, edge computing, and distributed systems, significantly expands the attack surface, making it challenging to secure every component.
- In the rush to deliver new features, developers might overlook security measures, leading to insufficient testing and oversight, thereby increasing the risk of cybersecurity threats.
- Applications can be vulnerable to attacks such as SQL injection, authentication and access control failures, and even supply chain incidents, which could exploit weaknesses in software and expose sensitive data.
- AI plays a growing role in software coding, and while it can add another layer of complexity to app security, it can also be used as a countermeasure to provide better application security tooling.
- To manage app security risks effectively, businesses should secure their development environments, embrace a "Shift-Left Security Approach", establish supply chain governance, adopt a DevSecOps approach, get serious about secrets management, adopt a centralized API management strategy, mitigate API security risks, and implement regular testing and patch management for enhanced security.
