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Tag: application security

Static Application Security TestingMany companies have significant investments in network security, but it’s not enough because a significant chunk of all cyber-attacks are happening on the application layer. Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting the application stack for exploitation.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 90% of security incidents result from exploits against defects in software. The Forrester Wave: Application Security Report says that companies rush to build and use applications without thinking about the security of the application itself.  The Global Information Security Workforce Study published by the International Information Systems Security Certification Con­sortium (ISC)2 claims that 30% of companies never scan for vulnerabilities during code development. These are all astounding findings!

Companies need to improve how they find and fix vulnerabilities and to reduce the risk created by the proliferation of vulnerable applications used on a daily basis. A good application security program has to start with a systematic process for assessing code during an application’s develop­ment stage requiring software assessments at every stage of the development process, rather than at the end of the cycle.  There is a significant amount of pressure on development teams to produce functional applications quickly and the emphasis on functionality and speed means security is generally left behind.

Companies face adversaries who are motivated by money, politics and other reasons to find vulnerabilities two they can steal sensitive and valuable information. One of the ways cyber criminals are doing this is by exploiting security vulnerabilities introduced or not remedied during the development cycle of the software. Many companies often require their developers only do the bare minimum for security; scanning code once rather than continuously.

Static and dynamic analyses are two of the most popular types of security tests.  There are many vendors in the market specializing in the field of application testing and security: some are big and others are smaller providing niche solutions. Companies must choose carefully which security testing to implement.

Typically, vulnerabilities found through the use of static analysis have a higher fix rate than those found by dynamic analysis. Static analysis compared with dynamic analysis is a more thorough and a more cost-efficient approach because of its ability to detect bugs at an early phase of the software development life-cycle.

Current times and challenges require companies to be vigilant in securing sensitive data to avoid costly and embarrassing data breaches. As part of an overall security posture, companies must not overlook the value of static application security testing. Given the inherent risk involved, an application vulnerability can cripple customer trust.  Static application security testing is a must have tool in any environment developing applications.

Pants DownTechnology has changed the way we live our lives. Whether we are at work, home or outside, we have become dependent on our computers, mobile phones and the internet. On a daily basis, we all interact with a significant number of applications.

Demand for technology has led to an explosion of software we use daily, whether these are applications used in the office or at home. Demand for new or updated functionality has shortened software release cycles and application developers need to rapidly introduce new features to outpace competition and meet customer demand. With this reality, application security risk management can no longer be treated as a nice-to-have element.  It must be a mission-critical requirement at every company that develops software.

Gone are the days with long release cycles and infrequent updates.  Application developers are faced with increased pressure to release software, updates and new features and this presents a significant issue with security. While software companies primarily focus on user experience and business value, often they miss the importance of ensuring the applications are truly secure without vulnerabilities.

Surveys like the recent Ponemon Institute 2016 Application Security Risk Management Study indicate that basic security steps are often neglected – 48% of respondents said their organizations don’t take basic security measures. How can applications be secure without appropriate security testing?

Application security testing ensures that potential application security vulnerabilities are remedied prior to the release and consumption by users. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is one of the tools that must be part of every application development company’s security risk management process.

Often, companies think of SAST with high volume of vulnerability findings making remediation ineffective and time consuming. Learn about Fasoo’s SPARROW capabilities.

  • SPARROW enables developers and quality/security managers to remediate flaws reported through code suggestions.
  • SPARROW’s Intelligent Alarm Clustering groups related vulnerabilities in source code with a unique ID enabling faster remediation.

Organizations must utilize SAST in the scope of their application security preparedness to reduce risks that are introduced by application infrastructures. SAST must be part of security risk management practices in every company developing applications.

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