Great Code Demands Great Security
Great code is secure code, and helping customers achieve it runs through everything we do.
The application security industry continues to evolve at pace as organizations recognize that software security risks need to balance with business imperatives that accelerate the speed of digital innovation. While this isn’t new, the pace of technology transformation (encompassing an explosion of APIs, microservices, IAC innovation, and cloud technology mapped to the ever-increasing demand for faster time to market) is accelerating. Organizations are continually pushing boundaries while recognizing that the speed of AST delivery can’t be traded for the depth and quality of code security analysis.
At Fortify, we have a holistic AppSec vision that is based on being excellent on foundational elements. This includes broad and accurate language coverage; an integration ecosystem that allows minimum friction into the existing tools our customers use and love; and an end-to-end application security platform that takes into account that not every organization is the same.
The shift to the left has affected not only where in the SDLC application testing and security is being implemented, but has also had a profound impact on who is responsible for security testing. Developers are increasingly becoming the primary drivers when it comes to the purchase and implementation of AppSec testing.
The reality is that business usually trumps security. Developers are incentivized to deliver functionality with as few bugs as possible, as quickly as possible. So, it is imperative to figure out how to insert security into the developer pipeline to enable developers to fix vulnerabilities without slowing them down.
Seamless integration into every stage of the SDLC is continuing to become the norm for AppSec tools. AppSec teams continue to have less influence when it comes to tooling in the DevOps toolchain. As development organizations pushed back, many commercial vendors started to offer hyper-convenient scanning. Early offerings resulted in tools that found only a fraction of the vulnerability issues of a more robust AppSec tool, but the convenience and cost savings helped organizations check the compliance box.
The tug-of-war between convenience and robustness has pushed the entire AppSec industry toward tighter integrations throughout the software development lifecycle. As top-tier AppSec tools become “seamlessly” integrated into the CI/CD pipeline, we’re seeing the “shift left” mentality become a reality in organizations with mature AppSec programs.
In fact, the “shift left” pendulum is swinging to “shift everywhere.” It’s about finding the right tool for the right job, for better defense in depth.