Building a Fortress: Techniques for Cyber Resilient Software Development

In today's digital landscape, software plays a critical role. From powering our businesses to connecting us with loved ones, the security of these applications is paramount. This means creating applications that can withstand attacks, recover quickly from breaches, and minimize damage.

Cyber resiliency refers to an organization's ability to anticipate, withstand, recover from, and adapt to adverse conditions, disruptions, and emerging cyber threats.

By 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙮𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝘾𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚 (𝙎𝘿𝙇𝘾), you can significantly improve your software's security posture. Here's a breakdown of key techniques to consider at each stage:

𝟭. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

One of the most effective ways to build cyber resiliency is to shift security considerations to the left in your SDLC. This means integrating security practices and assessments from the very beginning of the development process, rather than bolting them on at the end.

• 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: Integrate security considerations from the very beginning. This involves threat modeling to identify potential vulnerabilities and define security requirements alongside functional ones.
• 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀: Establish clear coding guidelines that promote secure practices.

𝟮. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:

• 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀: Use automated tools to scan code for common vulnerabilities. Early detection and remediation save time and resources.
• 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: Train developers on secure coding practices to minimize vulnerabilities introduced during development.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Integrating security testing throughout the SDLC is crucial for building cyber resiliency. Automate security testing as part of your continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to ensure that security is continuously evaluated and validated.

• 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 (𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗧): Use automated tools to scan code for common vulnerabilities. Early detection and remediation save time and resources.
• 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗗𝗔𝗦𝗧): Employ DAST tools to simulate real-world attacks and identify vulnerabilities in your running application. This can include web application scanning, penetration testing, and fuzzing.
• 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗜𝗔𝗦𝗧): IAST tools integrate with your application during runtime, monitoring its behavior and identifying security issues in real-time. This approach can provide deeper insights into application-level vulnerabilities.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 (𝗦𝗖𝗔): Utilize SCA tools to scan your application's dependencies and third-party libraries for known vulnerabilities. This helps you maintain awareness of the security posture of your application's components and dependencies.
• 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Involve security specialists in the testing process to provide expertise and guidance.

𝟰. 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲:

• 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻/𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 (𝗖𝗜/𝗖𝗗): Automate the build, test, and deployment process to ensure consistent security measures are applied throughout the lifecycle.
• 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Implement a system for timely identification, acquisition, and deployment of security patches for all software components.

𝟱. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

Even with robust security measures in place, cyber incidents can still occur. Prepare your organization for such events by establishing comprehensive incident response and disaster recovery plans.

• 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗠): Implement a SIEM system to collect and analyze logs from various sources to detect suspicious activity and potential breaches.
• 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Develop a well-defined incident response plan that outlines procedures for identifying, containing, and recovering from security incidents.

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀:

Building cyber resilience goes beyond just implementing specific tools. Here are some additional considerations:

- 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗢𝗽𝘀: Foster a culture of collaboration between development, security, and operations teams. This ensures security is a shared responsibility throughout the SDLC.

- 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Regularly train developers and other personnel on security best practices and the latest threats.

- 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Evaluate the security posture of third-party libraries and components used in your software.

Regularly review the effectiveness of your cyber resiliency practices and make necessary adjustments. Gather feedback from your development team, security professionals, and other stakeholders to identify areas for improvement and implement changes accordingly.        

𝗥͟𝗲͟𝗺͟𝗲͟𝗺͟𝗯͟𝗲͟𝗿͟,͟ ͟𝗰͟𝘆͟𝗯͟𝗲͟𝗿͟𝘀͟𝗲͟𝗰͟𝘂͟𝗿͟𝗶͟𝘁͟𝘆͟ ͟𝗶͟𝘀͟ ͟𝗮͟𝗻͟ ͟𝗼͟𝗻͟𝗴͟𝗼͟𝗶͟𝗻͟𝗴͟ ͟𝗽͟𝗿͟𝗼͟𝗰͟𝗲͟𝘀͟𝘀͟,͟ ͟𝗻͟𝗼͟𝘁͟ ͟𝗮͟ ͟𝗼͟𝗻͟𝗲͟-͟𝘁͟𝗶͟𝗺͟𝗲͟ ͟𝗳͟𝗶͟𝘅͟.͟ ͟