Integrating DAST into DevSecOps
In today's fast-paced and ever-changing digital landscape, cybersecurity has become a major concern for organizations of all sizes. What’s essential now is an environment where security is not an afterthought, but rather an integral part of the development process.
This is exactly what DevSecOps puts forward.
DevSecOps is a methodology that integrates security into the DevOps process, creating a culture of shared responsibility for security among development, security, and operations teams. DevSecOps combines the principles of DevOps - collaboration, automation, and continuous delivery - with security best practices, to create a seamless and secure software development lifecycle.
Security testing is done continuously, from the early stages of development, and vulnerabilities are identified and remediated before the code is deployed. This approach reduces the risk of security breaches, improves the overall quality of the software, and helps organizations to comply with regulatory requirements.
One of the most important types of security testing that can be integrated into the DevSecOps process is Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST).
DAST is a type of security testing that involves simulating real-world attacks against an application to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker. The testing is done from the outside-in perspective, which means that the tool interacts with the application as a user would, testing the application's inputs and outputs.
Integrating DAST into the DevSecOps process can help to identify security issues earlier in the development cycle, reducing the time and cost required to remediate them. DAST can also help to ensure that applications are secure before they are deployed to production, reducing the risk of a security breach.
DAST can be an important part of the DevSecOps process, as it helps to identify vulnerabilities in real-time, allowing teams to remediate them quickly and effectively. Here are the appropriate stages for incorporating DAST into DevSecOps:
Continuous Integration and Delivery Phase
In the continuous integration and delivery phase, the application is built, tested, and deployed to a staging environment for further testing. DAST should be integrated into the continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, where it can be run automatically as part of the testing process.
Testing and Deployment Phase
In the testing and deployment phase, the application is tested in a staging environment to ensure that it meets the business requirements and is secure. DAST testing should be performed continuously throughout this phase, as new vulnerabilities can be introduced during the deployment process.
Production Phase
In the production phase, the application is deployed to the production environment, where it is monitored for performance and security issues. DAST testing should be performed continuously in the production environment to ensure that the application remains secure and resilient.
Maintenance Phase
In the maintenance phase, the application is maintained and updated to address any security issues or vulnerabilities. DAST testing should be performed regularly in this phase to ensure that any new vulnerabilities are identified and remediated.
Incorporating DAST into each stage of the DevSecOps process ensures that security is integrated into the development process from the beginning, and vulnerabilities are identified and remediated early in the development process. Let’s consider an example for integrating DAST into your DevSecOps process. If you take Azure Pipelines into consideration, here’s a step-by-step process on how DAST can be integrated into it.
Monitoring and analyzing DAST results are an essential part of a successful DevSecOps process.
Without proper analysis, the results generated by DAST tools can be overwhelming and difficult to understand, making it difficult to take actionable steps to remediate identified vulnerabilities.
By regularly analyzing DAST results, teams can identify emerging trends and patterns, prioritize remediation efforts, improve development practices, track the effectiveness of security measures, and meet regulatory compliance requirements.
In conclusion, integrating DAST into the DevSecOps process is essential for ensuring the security and resilience of applications. By following best practices like starting early, automating testing, integrating with CI/CD, using multiple tools, involving developers, and continuously monitoring, organizations can ensure that their applications are secure and resilient in today's constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape.