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Everything Everywhere All at Once dominated the Oscars and is the buzz of the movie world. What if it’s also the key to reimagining our approach to AppSec?
No, that doesn’t mean our application security teams have to grow hot dog fingers. We just need to readjust our thinking on application security beyond the outdated “shift left” narrative. Because we need AppSec everywhere, all at once.
Yes, the hallowed ideal of “shift left” has been the AppSec dream for years, promising savings of time and money by remediating vulnerabilities earlier in the software development life cycle. But if you shift your application security testing left, doesn’t that imply you’re shifting your focus away from some other area?
In a world that runs on code, we can’t afford that. Focusing security on one phase of the software development life cycle is like locking the front door but leaving the windows open at Fort Knox. Threat actors, noting that you’ve left so much to chance, will have a blast with that — until all the gold is gone.
The logical solution: Shift everywhere
Modern application development (MAD) has been invaluable for software development teams, allowing them to innovate to stay competitive and build mission-critical applications at speed. But modern development practices, such as increased use of APIs, open source code, containers, etc., introduce new attack surfaces.
Cybercriminals are well aware of modern development practices and new attack surfaces and are taking full advantage of organizations that have not implemented comprehensive application security measures. As stated in a recent CSO article1, “attackers [are] step[ping] up their assaults on beleaguered organizations.” In fact, Forrester analysts noted2, “Sixty-two percent of organizations surveyed by software supply chain security vendor Anchore have been impacted by a software supply chain attack in the past year.”
To combat cybercriminals, we need to stay one step ahead. We need to secure every phase of software development for every application while simultaneously balancing the dynamic needs of CISOs, security teams, and development teams.
Shift everywhere, defined
Shift everywhere is not just a slogan, it’s a movement.
Forrester pioneered the movement, calling for an end to the “shift left” approach in ‘The State of Application Security 2022’3 report. As the report notes, “This year, organizations are investing in security scanning throughout the life cycle …. A ‘shift everywhere’ approach enables product teams to develop and deploy with speed and confidence.” Without a shift everywhere approach, organizations run the risk of security gaps and delayed software deployments.
Shift everywhere goes beyond securing the development life cycle. It’s a shift in mindset that impacts every activity related to securing your applications, your organization, and your customers:
Every risk
Security must be built into every phase of the software development life cycle so that risks are identified everywhere, as early as possible.
Every deployment
When an application goes live, that doesn’t mean it’s fully secure. You need to monitor your apps before and after deployment. Attackers can hijack open source packages, or rushed developers can create shadow APIs, just to name a few threats. A shift everywhere approach means scanning every line of code, whether it’s deployed or not.
Every application
Shift everywhere applies to every application, not just the most critical ones. With our cloud-native application security platform, you can scan one application or one thousand … all with the click of a button for no additional cost. If you’re not scanning every application, you could be leaving risks on the table.
Every technology
To make all of the above a reality, your team can’t be left dangling with a patchwork of tools that don’t quite work together. Your AppSec solutions have to be easy to deploy and use, or, well, there’s a great chance they’ll never get fully deployed and used.
Everyone
Security has to engage all parties — CISOs, security teams, and developers — so they abandon their silos to collaborate and innovate on meeting emerging AppSec challenges.
In other words, it’s time we refuse to settle. Shift Everywhere means securing every risk, every technology, every application, every deployment. Everything.
The impact of shifting everywhere
So, what will shift everywhere mean to you?
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- Developers, AppSec, and CISO unified and engaged in a collaborative effort to deliver maximum security.
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- Renewed confidence in open source code, enabling truly agile development at speed.
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- A holistic view of your security posture across every application, every scan type, and every team involved.
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- Fully secure apps future-proofed from the latest attacker surprises.
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- Improved business growth as customers and investors recognize your business as one that makes security a top priority.
One comprehensive platform to shift application security everywhere
Shifting everywhere is best achieved with a cloud-native application security platform. That’s where Checkmarx OneTM comes in. Checkmarx One is the leading AppSec platform for empowering large-scale enterprises to shift everywhere to secure every phase of their application development process. Our platform provides unparalleled scan accuracy, coverage, visibility, and guidance to reduce risk across all components of modern software and build for today’s evolving technological landscape.
Are you ready to make shift happen?
Request a demo, today.
1 Brumfield, Cynthia. “Cyber arms race, economic headwinds among top macro cybersecurity risks for 2023.” CSO. 2023, 21 February, https://www.csoonline.com/article/3688729/cyber-arms-race-economic-headwinds-among-top-macro-cybersecurity-risks-for-2023.html?utm_date=20230302212830&huid=040100f5-bc13-4688-af2b-08a56480a80e
2 Worthington, Janet. Carielli, Sandy. “The Secure Everywhere Movement Is Here: Are You On Board?” Forrester. 2022 9 May, https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-secure-everywhere-movement-is-here-are-you-on-board/
3Worthington, Janet. Carielli, Sandy. “The State of Application Security, 2022” 2022 9 May, https://www.forrester.com/report/the-state-of-application-security-2022/RES177413
