Summary
“A secure developer environment allows developers to take advantage of rapid development cycles without opening the business up to risk. In this article, we’ll explore best practices to secure developer environments, discuss common challenges in DevOps environment security, and recommend effective strategies to integrate security seamlessly into the SDLC.”
Today’s companies rely on rapid development cycles to deliver software products that can respond quickly to market demands, and stand up against the competition.
However, while speed-to-market is now a differentiator and can support business growth, there’s no doubt that it can also introduce security risks. Embedding security into each stage of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) is the route to mitigating these risks, and creating a secure developer environment without sacrificing velocity.
Why Does DevOps Environment Security Matter?
DevOps centers around core principles of agility, collaboration, and speed, and uses Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to drive faster releases. However, the need for security can often slow development teams down, with security tacked on to the end of the development processes. Not only does this mean that security often becomes a bottleneck to deployment, but it also creates a reality where security vulnerabilities can be missed, exposing applications to potential vulnerabilities.
DevSecOps is a methodology where security is integrated into DevOps processes so that security can align with the speed and efficiency of a continuous deployment pipeline. Security becomes part of the DevOps approach, which means organizations are continually reducing risk, and adding security from as early as possible in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
At Checkmarx, we call this ‘shift everywhere’ security, with security integrated into the Integrated Developer Environment (IDE) and into CI/CD pipelines, allowing developers to address vulnerabilities before they become embedded into the codebase, or enter runtime environments.
Is a Secure Developer Environment a Priority for Developers?
Even though ideally security should be everyone’s concern – in reality, developers often skip security steps in favor of getting releases out the door faster. After all, developers are not security experts, and they are often held to tight deadlines to deliver. This means security can feel like a burden, too complicated, or someone else’s responsibility. Even with the best of intentions, most organizations adopt too many security tools, all with their own ways of working, which can feel burdensome to developers, and lead to low adoption rates by development teams.
DevOps Security Best Practices across the SDLC
To create a secure software development lifecycle, organizations need to embed security into each stage, from planning and development to deployment and monitoring. Here’s how DevOps security best practices can be implemented effectively at each stage.
Planning: Build a Security Mindset
At the stage where project requirements are defined, incorporate security objectives and compliance needs at the outset, allowing teams to account for security in their design. Make sure you have a way to prioritize risks, correlating vulnerabilities with exploitability to anticipate potential outcomes and determine appropriate mitigation techniques.
Development: Integrate Security Testing in the IDE
Developers spend most of their time in integrated development environments (IDEs), making this an ideal place to introduce security tools that won’t disrupt workflows. By embedding security tools in the IDE, organizations can help developers detect vulnerabilities as they code, enabling faster remediation. Think about testing types such as:
- Static Application Security Testing (SAST): SAST tools detect and remediate vulnerabilities in source code. Since SAST works at the code level, it can find vulnerabilities in the code structure itself, such as insecure coding patterns, including those described in OWASP Top Ten.
- Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): DAST tools assess running applications for security vulnerabilities. Unlike SAST, DAST doesn’t require access to the source code; instead, it focuses on identifying issues in the functioning application. DAST catches security issues in runtime, such as misconfigurations, testing for vulnerabilities in running apps, such as XSS attacks, SQL injections, and CSRF.
By integrating SAST and DAST into the CI/CD pipeline, organizations enable continuous testing and reduce the likelihood of vulnerabilities going unnoticed until the final stages of development.
Manage the Risk of Third-Party Components with Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Most applications today are not built as islands. Instead, developers use open-source and third-party libraries to make it faster to build and deploy. However, these can introduce additional security risks if they contain vulnerabilities. Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools can help developers manage these risks by identifying and monitoring the use of third-party components.
SCA tools scan code repositories and project dependencies to detect known vulnerabilities in open-source libraries. They provide detailed information on vulnerabilities, including severity levels, fixes, and version updates, which help developers make informed decisions.
Integrating SCA into the development workflow allows organizations to manage third-party risks effectively without delaying the development process. By automating the tracking of open-source components, organizations can maintain visibility into potential security weaknesses and respond proactively to vulnerabilities as they are discovered.
Testing and Staging: Widening Testing for Comprehensive Security Validation
In addition to SAST, DAST, and SCA, organizations should consider an application security platform that is comprehensive enough to cover a wider range of vulnerabilities.
- Container Security: As containerized applications become more common, so do risks related to container vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Container security tools help scan container images, identify vulnerabilities, and enforce secure configurations. By securing containers in staging environments, organizations can prevent issues before they reach production.
- API Security: APIs are integral to modern applications, but they are also a common attack vector. API security tools test for API-specific vulnerabilities such as broken authentication, excessive data exposure, and improper rate limiting. Integrating API security testing into the CI/CD pipeline helps protect the communication channels between services.
- IaC Security: Robust IaC security strengthens cloud infrastructure with advanced scanning, proactive vulnerability identification, and robust misconfiguration detection. Look for a tool that scans your laC templates, enabling consistent and secure application provisioning in the cloud, and addressing vulnerabilities for repeatable and secure deployments.
Tips and Tricks for Developer Adoption
To effectively integrate security into DevOps, organizations need to foster a culture where security is seen as a shared responsibility. Driving developer adoption can look like:
- Making security part of developer workflows: Developers are more likely to adopt security practices if the tools are easy to use and don’t disrupt their workflow. Embedding SAST and SCA tools directly into the IDE, for instance, allows developers to catch and fix issues as they code, minimizing context switching and making security feel like a natural part of the process.
- Providing training and support: Many developers are unfamiliar with secure coding practices. Offering hands-on training sessions and resources on common vulnerabilities, secure coding techniques, and how to use security tools can bridge this knowledge gap. Ensure training is role-specific so that developers learn what they need to know, and feel their time is being used wisely.
- Emphasizing the value of security: Developers are often motivated by seeing the impact of their work. Emphasize how secure coding prevents real-world security breaches and protects user data. By framing security as a value-add to the organization and its customers, and showing how developers can improve their own skillset and value with security as a tool, developers are more likely to take it seriously.
Checkmarx One: A Unified Platform to Secure the Developer Environment
In the era of rapid DevOps cycles, ensuring comprehensive application security is both a challenge and an opportunity. By embedding security into every phase of the SDLC, organizations can reduce vulnerabilities, minimize risk, and foster a culture of security that aligns with DevOps principles.
Checkmarx One allows for security to become a shared responsibility, empowering developers with a wide range of application security testing tools, from SAST and DAST, to SCA, container security, IaC security, and API security, all integrated into the IDE and accessible via the tools and languages developers use every day.
As a result, developers are empowered to code securely, organizations can maintain agile development cycles, and customers can rely on applications that are both innovative and secure.See how it works in practice by requesting a demo of Checkmarx One.