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Application Security and Supply Chain Security: The Modern-Day Dynamic Duo in Strengthening Software Integrity

In today’s interconnected world, software applications have become the backbone of every business operation. Many of these applications are leveraging ready-made open-source components and third-party packages out there in the market. The increased reliance on these has introduced new challenges in terms of security. Open-source vulnerabilities are often left unchecked and can potentially become a significant threat to software integrity and the overall security of organizations.

Open Source and Packages

Organizations use open-source resources such as NPM and GitHub among others to facilitate the mission-critical task of creating and delivering software. They offer efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness, allowing developers to leverage pre-built functionalities rather than reinventing the wheel. However, 3rd-party open-source dependencies also come with inherent risks, as open-source projects and packages may contain vulnerabilities that, if exploited, can lead to devasting incidents such as data breaches, system compromises, and other security incidents.

How do we tackle these problems from an Application Security and Supply Chain Security perspective?

Application Security is the process of developing, adding, and testing security features at the application level to prevent security vulnerabilities. Some ways to do so are by implementing:

  1. Static Application Security Testing (SAST): SAST tools such as Checkmarx One SAST can analyze the application source code to identify security vulnerabilities, including those arising from open-source components. By scanning the codebase, it can pinpoint insecure coding practices, potential security flaws, and improper use of third-party libraries.
  2. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): DAST tools such as Checkmarx One DAST assess applications in their runtime environment, uncovering vulnerabilities not visible during SAST including those introduced by open-source components, such as injection flaws, broken authentication, and security misconfigurations.

Supply Chain Security is the process of securing the components, activities, and practices involved in the creation and deployment of software. Some examples are implementing:

  1. Dependency Analysis: Supply chain security tools such as Checkmarx One SCS involve analyzing the dependencies within an application. This includes identifying open-source libraries and packages and assessing their security posture which helps protect against open-source supply chain attacks with vulnerability, behavioural, malicious code and anomaly detection, and proactive threat-hunting.
  2. Software Composition Analysis (SCA): SCA tools such as Checkmarx One SCA identify and monitor open-source components and third-party packages for known vulnerabilities. They help organizations keep track of the libraries they use and receive alerts about newly discovered vulnerabilities.
  3. Vendor Assessment: Supply chain security also extends to evaluating the software management and security practices of third-party vendors that provide open-source components. Assessing a vendor’s commitment to security helps ensure that the components are trustworthy.
  4. Patch Management: Timely patching and updates are crucial to mitigating open-source vulnerabilities. Part of Supply chain security is to include processes for managing and applying patches to address known security issues.

How Does Application and Supply Chain Security Work Together?

Some elements shine brighter when paired with others, all the more so for Application Security and Supply Chain Security. Each covers a separate set of threats and responsibilities yet the organization’s overall security posture is incomplete if either one of them is missing. The collaboration between them is essential for comprehensive vulnerability management and here is how they complement each other:

  1. Identification: Application security identifies vulnerabilities within an application’s code, including potential vulnerabilities found in open-source components. Supply chain security complements this by focusing on dependency analysis and assessing the security of third-party packages to check if there are any vulnerabilities and malicious code.
  2. Prioritization: Both disciplines help prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact on the application. Resources can then be allocated effectively to address the vulnerabilities through a triage process.
  3. Remediation: Modern Application security tools guide how to remediate vulnerabilities found within the codebase, while supply chain security allows organizations to be aware of new patches related to open-source components.
  4. Monitoring: Continuous monitoring is a shared responsibility. Application security monitors the application’s codebase for emerging and recurrent threats, while supply chain security tracks open-source vulnerabilities as they are discovered and reported.


Summary

In this modern day and age where open-source components and third-party packages play an integral role in software development, the collaboration between application security and supply chain security is essential. Together, they help to build robust defences against open-source and package vulnerabilities, ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of software applications. By integrating these two disciplines, organizations can build secure software that stands up to the ever-evolving threat landscape.

Secure your software’s integrity, confidentiality, and availability in the ever-changing threat landscape. —reach out to Netrust Pte Ltd today to learn more > https://www.netrust.net/contact-us/

 

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