What is Shift Left Security?

What is Shift Left Security?

Shift Left Security is a new approach to software development that emphasizes the integration of security measures into the early stages of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), rather than waiting until later stages to address security vulnerabilities. The traditional approach to security testing involves waiting until the later stages of the development process to address security concerns, but this approach is costly, time-consuming, and often results in the deployment of vulnerable software. Shift Left Security, on the other hand, aims to identify and address security vulnerabilities much earlier in the SDLC, reducing the overall cost of development, improving software quality, and reducing the risk of data breaches. In this article, we will dive deeper into the concept of Shift Left Security, discuss its benefits, and identify best practices for implementing this approach in your organization.

This approach involves a shift in the way software development is conducted. By integrating security into the early stages of the SDLC, developers can identify and address issues earlier in the process, reducing the risk of security breaches and enhancing the overall security posture of the software being developed.

Importance of Shift Left Security

Shift Left Security is important for a number of reasons, including:

  1. Early detection of vulnerabilities: By integrating security measures at the beginning of the software development lifecycle, vulnerabilities can be identified and addressed as early as possible, reducing the risk of exploitation.

  2. Cost effectiveness: Fixing security vulnerabilities later in the development process can be much more costly than addressing them earlier. Shift Left Security can help reduce costs associated with security by preventing them from spreading throughout the development cycle.

  3. Improved code quality: With a focus on security from the beginning of development, the software is likely to be more robust and more secure.

  4. Greater agility: By addressing security issues early in development, the software development process can be more agile, as bugs and vulnerabilities are identified and addressed more quickly.

  5. Compliance and regulations: Embedding security into software development processes can help ensure regulatory compliance and reduce costs associated with audit processes.

In summary, Shift Left Security is important because it helps improve software security, reduces costs associated with security vulnerabilities, and ensures greater agility and regulatory compliance.

The danger of keeping security right

Keeping security right refers to the traditional approach of focusing on security towards the end of the software development lifecycle, typically during the testing phase. This approach can create a number of dangers for software that is being developed:

  1. Security vulnerabilities may be missed: If security is only considered towards the end of the development process, vulnerabilities that were introduced earlier may have already been built into the software, and it may be too late to address them effectively.

  2. Increased cost and effort: Fixing security issues towards the end of the development process can be much more expensive and time-consuming than addressing them earlier in the process.

  3. Lack of compliance: Many compliance requirements and regulatory standards specify that security must be addressed throughout the entire software development lifecycle. Focusing on security only at the end of the process may not be sufficient to meet these requirements.

  4. Higher risk of successful attacks: By delaying security measures until the end of the development cycle, software may be more vulnerable to attacks that can exploit previously undetected security issues.

In summary, keeping security right can create risks and lead to increased costs and effort. A shift left approach that brings security into the beginning of the development process can help address these dangers by detecting vulnerabilities earlier and reducing overall risk.

What is Shift Left Testing?

Shift Left Testing is a software testing methodology that involves testing earlier in the software development lifecycle. In traditional testing methodologies, testing is typically done towards the end of the development cycle, once the code is written and the application is ready for testing. However, with Shift Left Testing, testing is introduced earlier in the process, often during the requirements or design phases.

The goal of Shift Left Testing is to catch defects and issues earlier in the development process, which makes the entire process more efficient and less expensive. By detecting problems earlier, it allows developers to resolve them before they become more costly and time-consuming to fix.

Shift Left Testing involves a combination of automated and manual testing techniques that help identify and prevent errors and defects as early as possible. This includes techniques such as unit testing, integration testing, and functional testing.

By adopting a Shift Left approach, organizations can benefit from reduced testing and development costs, increased efficiency and productivity, faster time-to-market, and improved software quality.

Shift Left Testing Tools

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Static Application Security Testing (SAST) involves structural testing by referencing the application's source code at rest. By identifying weaknesses that could lead to vulnerabilities and generating a report, SAST aims to increase application security.

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) involves specification-based testing of the application while it's running, with no need for in-depth knowledge about how the system works internally. Using fuzzing, DAST tools analyze operating code to pinpoint issues with requests, responses, interfaces, scripts, injections, authentication, and sessions.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA), also known as origin analysis, is a method that helps analyze all sourced software components and libraries. With SCA tools, users can identify known vulnerabilities and receive alerts regarding any available patches or updates.

Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) tools combine static and dynamic approaches to test application and data flow using predefined test cases. Based on the results, the tool may suggest additional test cases.

Application Security Testing as a Service (ASTaaS) refers to the outsourcing of application testing to an external company. Typically, ASTaaS combines static and dynamic security methods, including penetrating testing and evaluating application programming interfaces (APIs), to improve application security.

Container image scanning tools continuously and automatically scan container images within the CI/CD pipeline and container registries to identify vulnerabilities or unsafe components. This ensures that any issues are identified and mitigated before deployment into production environments. Developers and DevOps teams receive remediation or mitigation guidance directly from the tools.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) solutions identify misconfigurations in cloud infrastructure that could leave potential risks and attack vectors unchecked. These solutions help organizations ensure that they comply with internal policies and third-party security standards. CSPM solutions can recommend or automatically apply security best practices.

Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) is designed to run alongside applications in production. It observes and analyzes behavior to notify or block anomalous and unauthorized actions. While RASP may place additional infrastructural burden on production environments, it provides a real-time look at potential application security risks and helps organizations take appropriate actions.

References

  1. https://www.aquasec.com/cloud-native-academy/devsecops/shift-left-devops/

  2. https://snyk.io/learn/shift-left-security/

  3. https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/cloud-security/what-is-shift-left-security/

  4. https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/shift-left-security/