There was a time when developing secure code was just a good idea. Now, in many instances, it’s a requirement. But how do you know if a developer is developing secure code? The key here is knowing it’s secure.
There are actually two aspects to developing secure code. You have to develop secure code AND you have to know it’s secure. You should be able to prove it. Before you deploy it.
Challenges to Secure Coding
Developing secure code is challenging. Even developers admit that. “Developers are struggling to design security into their software as they face competing priorities, according to a recent study by Secure Code Warrior. Two–thirds of the participants admitted they routinely left known vulnerabilities and exploits in their code, and only 14% listed application security as a top priority.”
What are the top vulnerabilities developers admit may be in their code?
- Insecure libraries
- Privileged escalation vulnerabilities
- Unencrypted data
- Back door credentials
- Insecure processors
- Injection vulnerabilities
- Buffer overflow
And with all the digital transformation going on and the migration to the cloud, the challenges only multiply and grow. So, what are developers to do if they want to know if their code is secure?
Developing Secure Code
The worst way to know if code is secure is when an application is breached after it’s deployed. That’s why there is a great push for “shift left”. The sooner you discover insecure code the better. But shift left by itself does not guarantee secure code. So, what does?
What the researchers at S&P Global Market Intelligence discovered is the key to secure code is to ensure security best practices are incorporated throughout the development process with any eye toward making them relatively frictionless for developers. And the best way to do that is with threat modeling. Not just threat modeling, but continuous threat modeling.
In their whitepaper, Continuous, Cloud-Centric Threat Modeling Enables the Ultimate ‘Shift Everywhere’ Required by DevSecOps, S&P Global Market Intelligence detail the reasons why continuous threat modeling is no longer a luxury but a necessity.
Not only is continuous threat modeling necessary for a myriad of compliance reasons, but it’s the best way to systematically ensure developers adhere to secure design patterns, don’t expose new attack surfaces, and use appropriate security controls.
These are the kinds of details required if you want to know that code is secure. To be able to prove that it’s secure. Before it’s deployed.
To learn more about the benefits of continuous, cloud-centric threat modeling, download your free copy of the whitepaper here.
