Enhance the Resilience and Security of Software Supply Chain
In the rapidly evolving world of software development, the DevSecOps community is grappling with the challenges posed by software supply chain attacks. These insidious threats often catch even experienced professionals off guard, with many Australian organisations lacking preparedness [1].
To combat these risks, visibility, governance, and continuous deployment have emerged as crucial components [2][3]. Monitoring production environments is key to catching discrepancies or unexpected behaviours that might indicate a security issue. Continuously testing and monitoring an environment is essential for organisational resilience in the face of software supply chain security vulnerabilities.
Governance involves establishing a framework of policies, processes, and controls ensuring secure practices, with oversight from leadership, for consistent maintenance of security measures and accountability throughout the software life cycle [4]. Ensuring software ecosystems are well-instrumented for effective response and resilience is important in preparing for the next supply chain attack.
Implementing policy-as-code can automate the management and enforcement of security policies across various domains [5]. Automated security boundary checking verifies that security perimeters are tight and well-maintained [6]. Utilising prebuilt infrastructure-as-code design patterns can enhance security [7]. Building reproducible software and maintaining per-service metrics for software security assurance is crucial [8].
Visibility involves having a real-time understanding of dynamic and complex computing systems. This can be achieved by decreasing the number of unknowns, using a software bill of materials (SBOM), and understanding the age of an organisation's software [9]. Building SBOMs capable of being leveraged by security operations and vulnerability alerting teams and tooling is necessary [10].
To meet compliance and security monitoring requirements, Australian universities have implemented SBOMs as part of their automated information security risk management [11]. However, a PwC report indicates that only one-third of Australian organisations have assessed the risk of attacks on the software supply chain [12].
In the pursuit of cyber resilience, organisations might consider establishing an open-source program office (OSPO) for greater OSS security [13]. Integrating AI validation in the SDLC can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and provide deeper insights into the development process [14].
Designing security boundaries that constrain failure domains by design is a key consideration [15]. Continuously testing and monitoring an environment is essential for organisational resilience in the face of software supply chain security vulnerabilities. The test of cyber resilience is an organisation's ability to adapt and evolve its security posture to stay ahead of the next security threat.
Josh Lemos, GitLab CISO, underscores the importance of these strategies, stating that visibility, governance, and continuous deployment are crucial components to bolster an organisation's resilience against software supply chain attacks [2]. Comprehensive test coverage, including unit and integration tests, ensures effective error checking [16].
In conclusion, addressing software supply chain security vulnerabilities requires a multi-faceted approach that emphasizes visibility, governance, and continuous deployment. By implementing these best practices, organisations can strengthen their defences against these persistent threats and maintain a secure and resilient software development ecosystem.
References: 1. Software supply chain attacks pose challenges to the DevSecOps community 2. Josh Lemos, GitLab CISO 3. Continuously testing and monitoring an environment 4. Governance in software development 5. Policy-as-code in software development 6. Automated security boundary checking 7. Prebuilt infrastructure-as-code design patterns 8. Building reproducible software 9. Visibility in software development 10. Building SBOMs for security operations 11. Australian universities implement SBOM for security monitoring 12. PwC report on software supply chain risks in Australia 13. Establishing an open-source program office (OSPO) 14. Integrating AI validation in the SDLC 15. Designing security boundaries 16. Comprehensive test coverage
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