AppSec Tools and Secure Coding Standards

To ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of your application security strategies, the utilization of the right tools is essential.

Two main testing methods, Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), bolster the fortifications against vulnerabilities, simplifying the DevSecOps process.

1. SAST also known as “white-box testing” delves into software security vulnerability testing. This tool scrutinizes your source code as you craft your application, aiming to uncover and report potential weaknesses that might culminate in security vulnerabilities. Utilizing SAST tools empowers you to pinpoint security issues early in the development phase.
2. DAST also known as “black-box testing” focuses on software security vulnerability testing that identifies conditions indicative of security vulnerabilities during runtime. The use of DAST tools allows you to detect security errors, runtime glitches, and environment-related issues at later stages in the development cycle.

Apart from employing static analyzers to assess code, a plethora of other tools are available for testing and safeguarding applications and APIs, both locally and in the cloud. These tools offer the capacity to track vulnerabilities across the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) of an application.

Additionally, sophisticated mobile application testing tools enable you to conduct testing from the perspective of your end-users, providing swift feedback with in-depth analysis of test failures. Continual performance testing of your applications throughout the development workflow empowers your team to attain high-quality code and minimize errors and vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to security concerns in the future.

Embracing a “Shift-Left” Security Approach for AppSec

Shifting left within the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a practice embraced by many developers. It entails conducting tasks such as early-stage software testing rather than deferring them to later stages in the linear development timeline, or to the “right” of the timeline.

The “shift-left” security approach, or “taking a shift-left approach” to security, signifies the execution of security assessments and other security-related activities in the early phases of the SDLC.

This proactive approach enhances the efficiency of application developers by minimizing task-switching. It empowers developers to receive security results while the freshly written code is still vivid in their minds, enabling immediate adjustments instead of waiting for code check-ins and subsequent analysis runs in continuous integration.

Incorporating security practices into your application development process ensures that there is ample time to identify and address vulnerabilities during the development stage, heightening developer awareness of common vulnerabilities and best practices in Application Security (AppSec).

AppSec Secure Coding Standards

Secure coding standards serve as a set of regulations and principles designed to detect, prevent, and eliminate software vulnerabilities that could jeopardize the security of software applications.

Several notable standards and resources for secure coding include:

1. CERT comprises secure coding standards that address insecure coding practices and undefined behaviors in C, C++, and Java, with the aim of mitigating security risks.
2. CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) – a comprehensive list that identifies software security weaknesses in programming languages like C, C++, Java, and C#.
3. DISA-STIG encompasses a collection of technical findings related to software security, offering valuable insights for secure coding practices.
4. OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) – renowned for identifying the most critical web application security risks.
5. ISO/IEC TS 17961 – standard which dedicated to secure coding in the C programming language, primarily focusing on the detection of security flaws.

To fortify application security, it is advisable to integrate an AppSec tool, such as a static code analyzer, early in the development cycle. This ensures the adherence to secure coding standards, thereby enhancing the resolution of potential security weaknesses.