28.07.2021 With the rise of online platforms and custom software development, how are cyber security challenges being met?
According to Forrester, applications remain a top cause of external breaches, and the prevalence of open source, API, and containers only adds complexity to the security team.
So what is “shift left”?
“Shift left” is a framework concept in software development. It aims to identify and prevent potential vulnerabilities at the earliest stage in the software design and delivery process. Tim Kirk, CEO of SureCity Networks explains “we’ve seen a number of companies be exposed via software platforms that by no fault of their own have exposed vulnerabilities, and therefore provided a backdoor to larger companies.”
By ensuring that the codebase is designed to be secure from the start of the software design process, rather than checking for security issues at the end of the process, can save not only time and money, but guarantee a more secure platform. Kirk explains “This is even more important in the current climate, because businesses are accelerating their digital transformation post Covid, which presents security challenges more than ever before”.
Some of the ways to implement a shift left strategy?
- Provide security training for DevOps
- Have a clear application security strategy from the outset
- Imbed automated security testing functions throughout development lifecycle
- Incorporate a security platform such as Palo Alto Prisma
- Ensure security controls are flexible, automated and don’t present DevOp roadblocks
