CSA: Governing Scanner Adoption in DevSecOps

Source URL: https://www.dazz.io/blog/scanner-adoption
Source: CSA
Title: Governing Scanner Adoption in DevSecOps

Feedly Summary:

AI Summary and Description: Yes

Summary: The text discusses the best practices for incorporating security scanners in the DevSecOps application security process. It highlights the challenges at each stage of development, from source code management to production deployment, and underscores the importance of effective governance and visibility in managing security vulnerabilities throughout the application lifecycle.

Detailed Description: The text elaborates on the adoption and governance of security scanning tools within the DevSecOps framework, emphasizing how to secure applications at various stages of their development and deployment processes. Here are the major points discussed:

– **Application Security Process**:
– Application security involves several stages that require effective visibility and governance.
– Source code management tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Azure DevOps serve as starting points for integrating scanners to analyze security flaws.

– **Phases of Scanning**:
– After code is written, it moves to a build phase where various scanning tools analyze the artifacts.
– Penetration testing occurs in pre-production environments to identify risks before full deployment.

– **Types of Scanners**:
– **Code Scanners**:
– Scan for security flaws (SAST), vulnerabilities in open-source components, misconfigurations in infrastructure as code, and secret exposures.
– **Build Scanners**:
– Scanners that analyze binaries or artifacts post-build, identifying vulnerabilities linked to the code and dependencies.

– **Methods for Scanning**:
– Different scanning solutions are categorized by their strengths and weaknesses:
– **Code Cloners**: Easy coverage but may lack context.
– **Scanner for Code Pushes**: Immediate scanning upon code updates.
– **Zip Scanners**: Comprehensive for multiple repositories but cumbersome for tracing issues.
– **Artifact Registry Scanners**: Directly assess artifacts but may struggle to link back to the original code.
– **Integrated Pipeline Scanners**: Provide contextual insights post-build but face adoption challenges.

– **Post-Deployment Security**:
– Continuous runtime production scanners are essential for ensuring ongoing security as vulnerabilities arise post-release.

– **Challenges of Adoption**:
– Complexity in deployment and varied methodologies make it difficult for security practitioners to keep track of all scanning processes.
– Unified visibility across different stages of scanning is vital for generating actionable security insights.

Overall, the text serves as a guide for security professionals in optimizing the use of scanning tools to strengthen their application security posture, thereby promoting security in the development cycle while managing associated risks effectively.