How to lower Cyber Security risks in your Application?

You will never hear a good doctor saying, “Just take a spoonful of this cure-all every day and you’ll feel great.” Cure-alls don’t exist, and anyone trying to sell one is lying. It is the same story in cyber security. No one tool does everything, and no “easy button” exists that will magically lower your risk and keep you safe.

If you have always allowed your developers to use whatever third-party components they need for functionality, then implementing proper software supply chain management will be an adjustment for everyone. If you have acquired software based solely on features and price, then adding security and risk assessment to that process will take significant effort.

Static Analysis:

Static analysis tools analyze your source code and report on probable bugs. The challenge of designing safe and secure software systems has never been greater. The emergence of increasingly complex cyber-physical systems, such as autonomous vehicles, demands that software be developed to the highest standards possible. Conventional software engineering practices are based on weak foundations that cannot deliver the basic rigor necessary to realize safe, secure systems. Static verification may include static code analysis, code reviews, checks against coding standards and guidelines, and other techniques.

"Klocwork" is one of the pioneers in Static Code Analysis. Klocwork is satisfying stringent software safety certification criteria i.e., ISO 26262 and IEC 61508. Using a qualified tool as part of the software development process from early stages of development can have significant benefits. Klocwork can be used in enforcing coding standards for safety and security. Some of the standards which Klocwork supports is MISRA, CWE, CERT, DISA - STIG, AUTOSAR, OWASP and so on. Static code analyzers inspect your source code to find potential quality and security issues. During these inspections, the tool will identify programming errors, coding standard violations, and security weaknesses. You can analyze the conde seamlessly from your Development IDE and CI/CD pipeline.

Open Source Licensing:

Although it is quick and convenient to assemble software from third-party components, these components carry their own risks. Software components have their own vulnerabilities and include usage licenses, whose terms might be incompatible with your product or business model. Using a supply chain analysis tool gives you visibility into your supply chain and enables you to minimize the risk of your third-party components.

During the development phase, teams need to make sure they use secure coding standards. While performing the usual code review to ensure the project has the specified features and functions, developers also need to pay attention to any security vulnerabilities in the code. Development teams should start testing in the earliest stages of development, and that security testing does not stop at the deployment and implementation stage.

One of the major risks that needs to be addressed to ensure a secure SDLC is that of open source components with known vulnerabilities. Since today's software products contain between 60%-80% open source code, it is important to pay attention to open source security management throughout the SDLC. Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools are automated technologies that are dedicated specifically to tracking open source usage. They alert developers in real-time to any open source risks that arise in their code, and even provide actionable prioritization and remediation insights as well as automated fixes. "Whitesource" is the premier Open Source Licensing tool.