Unveiling the State of Software Security in Europe

And why you will want to do #continues #application #security #testing and use our state-of-the-art Software Security Operations Center

Want to know why applications that are scanned at a regular cadence fix more flaws faster than those that are only scanned periodically? Read on and discover why security seems to prefer agile development.

Based on VERACODE’s State of Software Security (SoSS) 2023 and 2024 report, and mixed with SECWATCH’s data from #application #penetration #testing and #DAST scanning results, we can conclude that EMEA is in the middle of the pack in most areas but significantly behind the Americas regarding the proportion of applications with any flaws. In the Americas about 73% of applications carry security flaws in their last scan over the last 12 months, whereas in EMEA that number is just over 80%. APAC is performing worse, except in High Severity Flaws where EMEA drops to the bottom of the pack. The reason for the positions of the three Geographies is unclear. Some clues can be found in some of the later figures, but some conflicting data as well. Such is the state of things, but it is an interesting view to see North America so far ahead of the other Geographies. That should not be mistaken for praise though since all Geos have applications with a very high percentage of #OWASP Top 10 and #CWE Top 25 flaws.

The EMEA region demonstrates a significant preference for #Java as its primary programming language. This preference stands in stark contrast to other regions like APAC and the Americas, where there's a more varied use of programming languages including .NET and #JavaScript. Initially, there was an assumption that the high use of Java in EMEA might be linked to a higher percentage of flaws in applications, possibly due to slower remediation rates as compared to other languages. This theory, however, encountered inconsistencies. Data from the Financial Services sector, where Java is predominantly used, showed better performance in managing software flaws, except in the category of high severity issues.

This observation led to the realization that the responsibility for the number of flaws and their management cannot be solely attributed to the choice of the programming language. The burden, instead, lies with the application teams and their approaches to code delivery, maintenance, and flaw remediation. EMEA applications, especially those developed in Java, have a higher incidence of flaws identified through Software Composition Analysis (SCA). This trend is linked to the extensive use of open-source code in Java applications, which inherently increases the likelihood of encountering publicly reported flaws.

However, it's crucial to note that the presence of these flaws does not necessarily imply that the applications are fundamentally flawed; it merely indicates that the scans detected libraries or packages with known vulnerabilities. SCA tools not only identify these flaws but also recommend updates to safer library versions. The report suggests a strong correlation between the high usage of Java and open-source code, leading to a heightened detection of flaws through SCA in EMEA.

Regarding application lifecycle management in EMEA, there's a concern about the prevailing practices. Many organizations seem to prioritize updating their applications over maintaining quality, which leads to the introduction of new flaws over time. The figure below reveals that while EMEA applications initially manage flaws comparably to global standards, they begin to diverge after a couple of years.

This trend suggests a need for more focused and effective application lifecycle management practices in the region. As applications age, the knowledge of the inner workings tends to disperse to other teams and other projects (or it simply fades from memory). The more hands that touch an application, the more varied the methods of accomplishing those functions becomes. This can be minimized with disciplined style guidelines and code reviews. The beginning in this figure shows that 40% of applications in EMEA introduce new flaws. The pay down of the flaw debt is rapid though and falls in line with everyone else for about 2 years. After that, the introduction of new flaws diverges rapidly, and clearly more attention to this portion of the application lifecycle is needed. Whatever choices are made after the first few years should be examined to get back to a baseline of fewer new flaws.

AI's Impact on Software Security

The intersection of AI and software security is increasingly significant, as AI-generated code becomes more prevalent. While the 2024 report reveals that AI-generated code does not inherently lead to a higher incidence of security flaws compared to human-generated code, it underscores the challenge of managing the vast quantities of code produced. This scalability of AI can inadvertently contribute to a substantial accumulation of security debt if not strategically managed. Organizations are thus encouraged to adopt vigilant oversight and implement robust security practices to ensure that the efficiency and scalability benefits of AI do not compromise software security. Effective management strategies, including the integration of advanced security tools and regular code reviews, are essential to mitigate the risks associated with AI-generated code and maintain a strong security posture in the fast-evolving digital landscape.

Regulatory Considerations and AI

Evolving regulations significantly impact software security, especially with the advent of AI. Organizations must navigate this changing regulatory landscape, which affects everything from data protection to AI-generated content. Staying abreast of these changes is critical to ensure compliance and secure software development practices. As AI becomes more integrated into software development, understanding these regulatory frameworks and their implications on security measures is essential for maintaining robust and compliant software systems in the EMEA region and beyond.

Security Debt Management

Managing security debt is crucial in today's software development environments. The 2024 report emphasizes the importance of a proactive and programmatic approach to both remediate existing vulnerabilities and prevent the introduction of new ones. Organizations are advised to continuously monitor their security posture, prioritizing the remediation of critical vulnerabilities to reduce their overall security debt. This approach ensures that more flaws are removed than introduced in each development cycle, maintaining a healthy balance between development speed and software security. Such strategic management of security debt is essential for maintaining robust and resilient software systems in the face of evolving cyber threats.

DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment)

Integrating DORA metrics into software security practices offers a strategic framework for continuous improvement. These metrics, focusing on deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and time to restore service, empower organizations to benchmark and enhance their software development and operational performance. By applying DORA metrics, companies can identify areas for optimization in their DevSecOps practices, ensuring that security is seamlessly woven into the development lifecycle. This approach not only improves security posture but also fosters a culture of efficiency and accountability within software development teams.

Automation in Remediation

Automation in remediation is pivotal for effectively managing software security. SECWATCH champions a holistic approach, addressing both the inception of new flaws and the accumulation of existing vulnerabilities. By equipping developers with precise scanning tools during the development phase, the creation of new flaws is significantly reduced. On the flip side, Veracode FIX facilitates the swift remediation of new flaws and automates the repair process for existing ones. This dual strategy ensures a reduction in security debt, making SECWATCH's approach a comprehensive solution for enhancing software security.

SECWATCH Software Security Operation Center

SECWATCH is proud to announce the introduction of our cutting-edge Software Security Operation Center (Software SOC), a significant enhancement to our existing security operation center and external attack surface capabilities. This innovative addition is specifically designed to integrate results from External Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), Static Application Security Testing (SAST), and Software Composition Analysis (SCA) directly into our SOC framework.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber threats, traditional SOC functions are expanding to encompass software security. Our Software SOC is at the forefront of this evolution, offering a holistic approach to security that includes the entire application lifecycle. This integration ensures that we are not only monitoring network and system activities but also closely scrutinizing the security of the software applications that our clients rely on.

A key feature of our Software SOC is its ability to respond to high and critical vulnerabilities identified during DAST, SAST, and SCA scans. When a severe threat like an SQL injection is detected, our system immediately triggers an alert within the SOC. This prompt response is crucial for mitigating risks that could lead to significant security breaches.

Upon receiving an alert, our expert team swiftly validates the threat to ensure that it is not a false positive. This step is essential for providing accurate and actionable intelligence to our clients. Once a threat is confirmed, we immediately inform the affected customers, providing them with a comprehensive set of actions to address the vulnerability. This rapid response mechanism is pivotal in minimizing the potential impact of security threats on our clients' operations.

Our Software SOC is not just a reactive system. It is a proactive tool designed to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors. By integrating the results of DAST, SAST, and SCA, we are able to offer a more complete view of the security landscape, identifying vulnerabilities in both the application code and the deployed applications.

Recommendations

• Examine the application lifecycle: To address the trend of increasing software flaws over time, it's vital to scrutinize and refine the application development lifecycle. This involves a collaborative effort between application delivery teams and AppSec to implement effective processes like strict style guidelines, comprehensive documentation, and rigorous code reviews. These practices contribute to making the code more maintainable and reliable over time. Additionally, exploring concepts like planned obsolescence could prove beneficial, offering a strategic approach to managing aging code that may become problematic, leading to an accumulation of flaws.
• Keep the scan cadence regular: Consistent and regular application scanning is crucial in managing and mitigating security risks. An irregular scanning schedule often results in the discovery of vulnerabilities in large numbers, overwhelming the remediation process. By adopting a more regular scanning cadence, flaws can be identified and addressed in a more manageable and predictable manner. This approach not only aids in maintaining a higher security standard but also contributes to a more streamlined and efficient flaw management process, ultimately enhancing the overall security posture of the applications.
• Embrace automation: Automation in the scanning process plays a key role in reducing the incidence of security flaws. Initiating scans through automated processes, particularly within the CI/CD pipeline, ensures that changes are consistently vetted against established security and coding standards. This reduces the risk associated with ad hoc changes and unreviewed code. By increasing automation, particularly in areas of code review, application security testing, and change management, organizations can significantly reduce the introduction and proliferation of security flaws.
• Leverage AI and Automation for Flaw Remediation: Implement AI technologies and automation tools like Veracode FIX to identify and remediate security flaws efficiently. This approach helps manage both new and existing vulnerabilities, reducing security debt over time.
• Adopt DORA Metrics for Improvement: Utilize DORA metrics to systematically measure and enhance software development and security practices. These metrics guide organizations in optimizing their processes, aiming for fewer flaws and quicker remediation.
• Programmatic Security Debt Management: Establish a programmatic strategy for managing security debt, focusing on continuous assessment and remediation to ensure the elimination of more flaws in each development cycle.
• Engage in Comprehensive Security Consultancy: Take advantage of SECWATCH’s consultancy services to develop robust security and remediation programs. Collaboration with SECWATCH can help set clear objectives, assess security debt, and establish standards for secure coding practices.
• Write simple code yourself: In the context of Java applications, which often rely heavily on open-source components, there's a need to balance the use of external libraries against the security risks they may introduce. Teams should be encouraged to develop simpler code in-house for functionalities that do not require complex external dependencies. This approach reduces the application's exposure to security vulnerabilities inherent in external libraries. However, it's important to avoid over-simplification in critical areas like cryptography or database management, where specialized expertise is required.
• Consider our Software #SOC: Consider the integration of our Software Security Operation Center (Software SOC) as a key element in enhancing your security posture. Our Software SOC acts as a pivotal extension to your security strategy, aligning seamlessly with the recommended practices such as regular scanning and improved application lifecycle management. It provides real-time monitoring and immediate response to critical vulnerabilities identified during DAST, SAST, and SCA scans. This proactive approach ensures swift validation and communication of threats, enabling rapid and effective remediation strategies. Adopting our Software SOC means elevating your application security to a higher standard, ensuring a robust, responsive, and resilient security framework for your organization.