Train for Application Security

Providing training to builders on secure development and operational practices is critical. It fosters a culture of security awareness, enabling teams to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities early in the development process rather than at the security review stage.

Best Practices

Implement Comprehensive Application Security Training

• Provide regular, structured training sessions focused on secure coding practices for developers, emphasizing the importance of security early in the development process.
• Incorporate interactive workshops and hands-on labs where developers can practice secure development techniques in a controlled environment.
• Utilize online training platforms that offer modules on various security topics, allowing team members to learn at their own pace.
• Encourage participation in security exercises such as capture-the-flag competitions or bug bounty programs to enhance practical security skills.
• Establish a mentorship program where experienced security professionals can guide developers in best practices and common pitfalls in application security.

Integrate Security into CI/CD Processes

• Automate security testing as part of the continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to ensure security is considered at every stage of the development lifecycle.
• Use tools that provide static and dynamic analysis to detect vulnerabilities early, allowing for fast remediation before code is merged into the main branch.
• Implement approval gates that require security reviews before deployment to production, ensuring that security checks are enforced consistently.
• Regularly review and update security testing tools and processes to keep pace with emerging threats and vulnerabilities.

Conduct Regular Security Assessments and Code Reviews

• Establish a schedule for regular security assessments, including threat modeling and risk assessments, to identify potential vulnerabilities during application design.
• Encourage peer code reviews with a focus on security, leveraging checklists that highlight security best practices and common vulnerabilities.
• Adopt third-party tools or services for independent audits and penetration testing to complement internal assessments and identify blind spots.
• Create a feedback loop for developers to continually learn from security incidents and findings, fostering a culture of security awareness.

Foster a Security-First Culture

• Encourage open discussions about security issues and solutions among all team members, promoting a shared responsibility for application security.
• Incentivize security achievements, recognizing and rewarding teams and individuals who effectively implement security best practices in their work.
• Provide clear communication about security policies and expectations, ensuring that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining application security.
• Lead by example; leadership should prioritize security initiatives and demonstrate commitment to promoting a secure development environment.

Questions to ask your team

• What specific training programs are in place for developers on secure coding practices?
• How often is security training conducted for the entire development team?
• Are there resources available for ongoing education about emerging security threats?
• Can you provide examples of how training has directly impacted security outcomes in your codebase?
• What metrics do you use to assess the effectiveness of your security training programs?
• How do you ensure that security training is up-to-date with current best practices and compliance requirements?

Who should be doing this?

Application Security Trainer

• Develop training materials focused on secure coding practices and operational security.
• Conduct training sessions for developers and operations teams on security best practices.
• Stay updated on the latest security threats and mitigation strategies to inform training content.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and make improvements as needed.

Software Developer

• Apply secure coding practices learned in training to ensure application security.
• Participate in security reviews and risk assessments during the design and development phases.
• Collaborate with security teams to identify and remediate vulnerabilities in applications.
• Continuously integrate security testing and validation into the development lifecycle.

DevOps Engineer

• Implement security checks and automated validation in the CI/CD pipeline.
• Monitor deployments to ensure adherence to security compliance.
• Coordinate with development and security teams to integrate security tools into operational workflows.
• Conduct post-deployment security reviews and audits to ensure ongoing compliance.

Security Analyst

• Assess and validate security properties of applications and tools throughout the lifecycle.
• Conduct regular security assessments, penetration tests, and code reviews.
• Provide feedback to development teams on security vulnerabilities and remediation strategies.
• Work with other roles to foster a culture of security awareness and best practices.

What evidence shows this is happening in your organization?

• Application Security Training Plan: A comprehensive plan outlining the training program for developers and operational teams, focusing on secure coding practices, threat modeling, and secure deployment techniques.
• Secure Development Checklist: A checklist used by development teams to ensure security best practices are followed during design and development phases, including code reviews, dependency management, and secure configurations.
• Automated Security Testing Report: A report generated from automated security testing tools that highlights vulnerabilities found in applications during the CI/CD pipeline, demonstrating proactive validation of security properties.
• Security Awareness Training Guide: A guide detailing the regular security awareness training for all employees, emphasizing the importance of security in the development lifecycle and fostering a security-minded culture.
• Application Security Playbook: A playbook that outlines the best practices, roles, and responsibilities for incorporating security into the software development lifecycle, including incident response and risk assessment protocols.

Cloud Services

AWS

• AWS CodePipeline: Automates the build, test, and release process of applications with integration points for security checks to enforce secure coding practices.
• AWS IAM: Provides permissions management for AWS services to enforce the principle of least privilege, enhancing security during development and deployment.
• Amazon Inspector: Automatically assesses applications for vulnerabilities and deviations from best practices, providing security validation during the lifecycle.

Azure

• Azure DevOps: Provides CI/CD pipelines with built-in security features for validating security properties during app development and deployment.
• Azure Security Center: Offers unified security management and advanced threat protection across hybrid cloud workloads, enhancing security validation processes.
• Azure Policy: Enforces rules and effects over your resources to ensure compliance with security standards throughout the lifecycle.

Google Cloud Platform

• Google Cloud Build: Automates the build and deployment process, with the ability to integrate security testing into pipelines for early detection of issues.
• Google Cloud IAM: Manages access control to resources, ensuring that permissions adhere to security policies throughout the development lifecycle.
• Google Cloud Security Command Center: Provides visibility into and control of the cloud security posture, helping to validate security throughout application lifecycles.

Question: How do you incorporate and validate the security properties of applications throughout the design, development, and deployment lifecycle?
Pillar: Security (Code: SEC)