How can you conduct an AppSec program with a centralized and transparent overview for all involved? How can you provide visibility to the board about current risks, asset classification, and the prioritization of identified vulnerabilities? And, in practice, how can you generate alignment among all stakeholders to work collaboratively?
Challenges in Application Security
When analyzing the context of application security, we notice many challenges for developers and security teams. Before addressing these challenges, there is an important ‘quick win’: avoiding friction between development and AppSec teams by promoting collaboration.
As mentioned by Gartner, “DevSecOps is the integration and automation of security and compliance testing in agile IT and DevOps development pipelines as continuously and transparently as possible, without reducing developers’ agility or speed or requiring them to leave their development toolchain” (Gartner, Security Tools and Practices for DevSecOps, 2023).
ASPM (Application Security Posture Management) is an effective approach to reduce friction between these teams.
1. Centralized and Transparent Vision in the AppSec Program
To conduct an AppSec program with a centralized and transparent vision, it is crucial to have a robust strategic plan. A structured AppSec Program should include actions such as threat modeling, policies, and requirements that bring the organization closer to the desired scenario. Gartner predicts that “by 2026, more than 40% of organizations developing proprietary applications will adopt ASPM to identify and resolve application security issues faster” (Gartner, 2023). ASPM facilitates integrated management of the AppSec program, providing clarity in the practical results of the application of processes and actions from development to deployment, promoting alignment among all involved.
2. Visibility to the Board on Risks and Priorities
It is essential to bring visibility to the board about current risks, classify assets, and prioritize identified vulnerabilities. Gartner states, “use ASPM tools to continuously manage application risk through the collection, analysis, and prioritization of security issues across the software lifecycle” (Gartner, Structure Application Security Tools and Practices for DevSecOps, 2023). ASPM helps address these challenges as applications become more complex by providing a clear view and facilitating the holistic prioritization of security issues.
3. Alignment and Collaboration Between Teams
In practice, generating alignment among all stakeholders to work collaboratively is fundamental. ASPM brings developers, pipeline professionals, and AppSec security teams together by providing visibility into SAST, SCA security tests, and other activities. Correlation of vulnerabilities is essential to avoid noise and dispersed results, and ASPM offers a comprehensive view of security issues, allowing the prioritization of vulnerabilities based on application risk factors.
Example Scenario
Consider a fictitious company without a centralized platform or a defined AppSec program. After gap mapping using OWASP SAMM, the AppSec team identified the need to implement an AppSec program. Using ASPM, they centralized information, integrated assets into pipelines, and activated security features, in addition to external integrations. This provided risk visibility and encouraged collaboration between developers and the security team, promoting a security by design mentality. With the implementation of ASPM, they achieved visibility and success metrics for the AppSec program.
Conclusion
Implementing an efficient AppSec program, supported by a robust ASPM platform, facilitates application security management, promotes collaboration between teams, and ensures that risks are visible and addressed by all responsible for the organization’s application security.