Closing the Security Gap Opened by the Rise of No-Code Tools

As part of the digital transformation reshaping the global business landscape, no-code/low-code tools are on the rise. Gartner projects the use of no-code/low-code tools will grow from almost 25% of applications in 2020 to 70% in 2025.

In a recent Dark Reading survey of 136 IT professionals on the state of no-code/low-code tools and implementation in their businesses, only 39% said they don't use no-code/low-code tools or intend to use them in the near future. The no-code/low-code market is a robust one, valued at nearly $13 billion in 2020 and estimated to reach over $47 billion in 2025 and $65 billion in 2027.

While no-code/low-code tools hold promising potential, they also come with a big challenge: security. The security concerns associated with using no-code/low-code tools are numerous. In the Dark Reading survey, only 7% of respondents said they aren't concerned about the security of no-code/low-code applications.

Malicious actors are constantly spinning new tactics and attack models, and no-code/low-code tools leave huge backdoors for them to exploit. An assessment by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) reveals several no-code/low-code security risks — from account impersonation, to authorization misuse, to credential sharing, and more. For some observers, no-code/low-code tools sacrifice security on the altar of improved productivity.

Building Privacy Ops With No-Code/Low-Code Tools

Although no-code/low-code tools present data security challenges, several companies are working on ways enterprises can use these tools to actually improve security. Israel-based Mine PrivacyOps says its no-code platform helps enterprises automate and streamline their privacy operations by securing data and meeting data privacy regulations like the GDPR and CCPA.

One of the privacy-accommodating features Mine PrivacyOps offers is automatic fulfillment of privacy requests via data subject requests and data subject access requests (DSR/DSAR), a requirement of the GDPR under the right of access. The software also handles consent management and third-party risk assessment. No-code integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, Klaviyo, Zendesk, and other data sources allow clients to automate privacy and deletion requests concerning those systems. The data mapping tool creates GDPR-compliant Records of Processing Activity (ROPA) and tracks all personally identifiable information (PII) collected in the client's systems.

"Our no-code approach … means that we have the fastest implementation time in the market, allowing companies to set up in less than 30 minutes with no engineering resources needed," says Gal Ringel, CEO of Mine PrivacyOps. Mine PrivacyOps claims over 2,000 customers use its platform. The company has competition in cloud-based governance, risk, and compliance software makers Hyperproof, Netwrix Auditor, Egnyte, and others.

While security concerns continue to be a major conversation around no-code/low-code tools, there are still bright spots to consider. Companies like Mine PrivacyOps show that no-code tools can factor security into their core functionalities.