The tools and platforms you need to shift security left
As software development cycles shrink to weeks or less through agile development and DevOps, the habit of bolting on security at the end of the cycle has become a bottleneck. That’s where DevSecOps comes in.
The growing trend of layering in security applications as software is developed — i.e. DevSecOps — has led to a rise in DevSecOps tools. Some tools offer complete platform solutions, while others cater to specific disciplines or stages of the development cycle.
Don’t know where to start? Here are some basic types of DevSecOps tools and nine specific products worth keeping an eye on.
Ready to take your utilization of DevSecOps to the next level? Check out The Comprehensive Guide to DevSecOps.
Types of DevSecOps Tools You Should Know
If building an in-house DevSecOps platform from scratch isn’t in the cards for your company, it may be better to combine various tools into a single system. Either way, it helps to know the key DevSecOps capabilities you’ll want to implement in your final solution.
Whether you select a unified platform that’s highly customizable and out-of-the-box or you patch various tools into a single system, these are the main DevSecOps capabilities to be aware of:
Software Composition Analysis
Software composition analysis (SCA) scans open-source applications to identify issues ranging from security vulnerabilities to licensing problems and quality concerns. SCA scans ensure that all the elements of an application’s code are up-to-date, thoroughly maintained, and aligned with overarching compliance policies. Most SCA tools also offer remediation guidance based on the type and severity of the issue.
Static Application Security Testing
Static application security testing (SAST) tools perform many of the same functions as SCA tools. But while SCA is dedicated to open-source software, SAST scans proprietary code created internally. Most DevSecOps teams use a combination of SCA and SAST tools to ensure that every stage of the software development life cycle is scanned and accounted for.
Dynamic Application Security Testing
Both SCA and SAST fit into the build phase of the software development life cycle, while dynamic application security testing (DAST) pertains to applications that are already running.
DAST tools identify security vulnerabilities in running applications by intentionally (and safely) introducing malicious inputs and measuring how the applications respond. Issues like SQL and OS injections, scripting errors, insecure cookies, and security header bugs are all fodder for identification and remediation using DAST tools.
Testing Automation
Instead of hiring huge QA teams to manually test every application, testing automation tools roll QA into the DevSecOps mindset. This manual effort can then be shifted to engineering and overseeing automated unit, integration, and system tests — a more effective use of your team’s highly specialized skills and expertise.
Benefits of DevSecOps Tools
As security is “shifted to the left”, i.e. given an earlier priority in the development cycle, two main benefits arise: speed and security.
Speed
In the traditional development cycle, security issues were addressed at the end (toward the “right” when viewed on a horizontal timeline). Any potential concerns may be noted during active development, but no significant resources would be devoted to their correction until near the end of the process. This approach introduced significant bottlenecks to the latter half of the development cycle, adding time and increasing the potential for costly oversights.
By integrating security into the fabric of the build process, issues are addressed as they arise. This reduces costs and saves time, eliminating the need for redundant reviews and added time to address security concerns en masse.
Security
By introducing security processes into the entirety of the development cycle, DevSecOps makes identifying and patching security vulnerabilities a priority. This not only improves collaboration between cybersecurity professionals and other development teams, but it actively reduces the window of vulnerability created by any given security flaw. Malicious actors are thus less able to exploit vulnerabilities.
9 DevSecOps Tools Streamlining Security During Development
#1: DuploCloud
With DuploCloud, shifting security left has never been easier. DuploCloud seamlessly integrates with all major cloud services and open-source tools to allow for fully automated provisioning with security at every step. This provides all of the benefits of DevSecOps, as well as a 10 times faster adoption rate for Infrastructure as Code. Combined with DuploCloud’s continuous compliance monitoring, DuploCloud’s DevSecOps integration means less time spent addressing security concerns and less money spent (a 75% reduction on average) in cloud operating costs.
For more information on how DuploCloud can help you streamline DevOps, read about our DevOps automation:
#2: Acunetix
Acunetix is a DevSecOps tool that scans and tests web applications for over 7,000 documented issues. Its primary DAST and SAST capabilities can be integrated with other tools as part of an existing CI/CD pipeline and can be run either on-demand or at scheduled intervals. In addition to detecting misconfigurations and leveraging testing automation to identify and remediate threats, the AcuSensor feature scans applications’ source code to identify a range of issues, including SQL injections and XSS vulnerabilities.
#3: Aqua Platform
Aqua Security’s Aqua Platform is a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) that combines a range of DevSecOps tools to introduce security at every stage of the development life cycle. The software automatically detects security issues, identifies malware, and locates weaknesses in Kubernetes clusters, containers, serverless functions, VMs, and more. Full CI/CD integration allows for comprehensive scanning and testing, and users can also custom-configure deployment policies. One of the strengths of Aqua Platform is that it supports a complete vulnerability management workflow, spanning detection, remediation, testing, and deployment with a single tool.
#4: Checkmarx
As a leader in application security testing, Checkmarx offers various DevSecOps utilities that can be integrated independently or introduced through the company’s all-in-one application security platform, Checkmarx One. Individual modules include SAST and SCA tools, among others. All of Checkmarx’s solutions can be integrated into major CI/CD pipelines and are designed to support a variety of programming languages.
#5: Codacy
Codacy’s static code analysis system allows organizations to shift security left by detecting vulnerabilities earlier in the development process. By automating live code review and supporting over 40 programming languages with cloud and self-hosting options, Codacy balances the often competing goals of security and flexibility so that DevSecOps teams can reliably ship high-quality code.
#6: Prisma Cloud
Prisma Cloud, a CNAPP from Palo Alto Networks, automatically scans your DevSecOps environment to detect vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues. The tool provides feedback on problems that it identifies to help organizations move from detection to mitigation more efficiently. In addition to securing the code base, it offers functionality around cloud security posture management, cloud workload protection, web application and API security, and cloud infrastructure entitlement management.
#7: SonarQube
SonarQube is a static code analysis tool that automates the process of continuously monitoring code for security threats and vulnerabilities. It distinguishes between Security Hotspots (potential security issues that should be escalated for review) and Security Vulnerabilities (critical issues that require immediate remediation) to help DevSecOps teams triage and prioritize. In addition to the open-source version of the software, SonarQube also offers a premium version with features like data sanitization and compliance tracking.
#8: SOOS
SOOS offers two distinct SCA and DAST tools that can be implemented separately or in concert. While the SCA solution scans open-source code to identify vulnerabilities and out-of-date systems, the DAST tool tests code in the development phase to identify standard exploits and common attack vectors. Integration with bug trackers and application development managers means SOOS tools can become powerful parts of an existing CI/CD pipeline.
#9: ThreatModeler
ThreatModeler allows organizations to automate security testing, threat modeling, and remediation steps. Users can implement reusable templates or customize the threat library they want to apply to any DevSecOps project scan. The platform continuously monitors threat models to notify users of changes and issues in real time. In addition to automated AI-driven UI testing, ThreatModeler also integrates with popular CI/CD pipeline tools like Jira and Jenkins through a bi-directional API.
Implementing a DevSecOps approach from scratch isn’t always plausible for startups and small or medium-sized businesses. When getting to market is the number one priority and building developer, security, and operations teams from the ground up get in the way of that goal, a turnkey solution like DuploCloud makes a world of difference. Our automated low-code/no-code DevSecOps platform helps companies deploy and deliver cloud-native applications 10x faster. Contact us today for a demo.
