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Comments
Flying Naked: Why Most Web Apps Leave You Defenseless
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Marilyn Cohodas
Marilyn Cohodas,
 User Rank: Strategist
3/28/2014 | 12:51:23 PM
Continuous application security approach
Curious to know how common -- or uncommon -- it is for organizations to take a "continuous security approach." What are some of the biggest challenges? Who within the Dark Reading community has considered or attempted such a strategy? 
RyanSepe
RyanSepe,
 User Rank: Ninja
3/29/2014 | 11:20:43 PM
Re: Continuous application security approach
I know from being in the Healthcare Industry that application security is a large concern. My team has not been able to test app security continuously because for us there are regulations that make it increasingly difficult. This is why continuous network security is the main focal point, but as the article delineates, this does not have much effect on the app vulnerabilities.

For my previous statement regarding regulations making this difficult, take into account the following healthcare scenario that happens quite often. An FDA approved device can perform a medical task. This device needs to be used and functionality is the biggest proponent when creating these devices. This device has a software counterpart that not "speaks" to the device to extract data. The computer software can be locked down via LDAP/ other authentication methods etc but what about any software direclty on the device. Currently, many devices can be considered "smart" devices in which they have their own software directly on the device to handle and transmit data through many mediums. Many FDA devices cannot not handle multiple security safeguards and are initally barely locked down at launch making them increasingly harder to secure. Has anyone had a similar situation in their line of work and how have they handled this situation?
Randy Naramore
Randy Naramore,
 User Rank: Ninja
3/31/2014 | 3:05:39 PM
Re: Continuous application security approach
I work in the banking/finance industry and we test "all" web apps prior to being deployed, it is a necessity and any findings that are in the high or medium categories have to be fixed before going live. We test and code according to the OWASP secure coding practices which takes to time for developers to adhere to. This approach helps us.
Marilyn Cohodas
Marilyn Cohodas,
 User Rank: Strategist
3/31/2014 | 3:09:48 PM
Re: Continuous application security approach
Thanks, Randy. How long have you been folloowing these practices? What has been your biggest challenges and successes?
Randy Naramore
Randy Naramore,
 User Rank: Ninja
3/31/2014 | 3:18:22 PM
Re: Continuous application security approach
We have been doing this for the last 10 years at least, one challenge is to make sure developers use secure coding techniques it helps the security testers to develop a best practices approach to their whole web app program. This approach must have buy in from management because when vulnerabilities are found the decision must be made to not go live until remediation is complete. The business reputation depends on it.
Marilyn Cohodas
Marilyn Cohodas,
 User Rank: Strategist
3/31/2014 | 3:25:10 PM
Re: Continuous application security approach
thanks. I can see how important app security must be in the financial sector! How often in the last couple of years have you actually put a web app on the back burner until insecure coding is fixed. 
Randy Naramore
Randy Naramore,
 User Rank: Ninja
3/31/2014 | 3:32:37 PM
Re: Continuous application security approach
Not really on the back burner but the decision has been made to push back "go live" date until app is fixed and retested. This makes all involved with deployment pay attention to details. 
WireHarborSec
WireHarborSec,
 User Rank: Apprentice
3/31/2014 | 12:37:25 PM
Large-Scale AppSec Programs
In my previous role I managed the appsec team with a company who's portfolio spanned over 3K applications. The *only* way to scale appsec programs to this size is by using a continuous-type approach. Internal pen-testing teams cannot keep up. 

Add in agile development methodology and it gets even more chaotic. 
planetlevel
planetlevel,
 User Rank: Author
4/1/2014 | 3:38:06 PM
Re: Large-Scale AppSec Programs
@wire - I'd love to find out more about how you scaled up your appsec program continuously.  I think there are many organizations that could benefit from your experiences.  Would you be willing to discuss with me for a few minutes? If so, please reach out at [email protected] and we can set something up.  I'm gathering data for a future blog.  Thanks --Jeff
Marilyn Cohodas
Marilyn Cohodas,
 User Rank: Strategist
4/1/2014 | 4:05:14 PM
Re: Large-Scale AppSec Programs
@wire and @planetlevel - The Dark Reading community would also be interested in hearing about your appsec scaling experience, so please share your experience on the message boards if you can!
planetlevel
planetlevel,
 User Rank: Author
4/1/2014 | 4:10:18 PM
Re: Large-Scale AppSec Programs
All, you might find the talk I did at OWASP AppSecUSA this year interesting. It's called "AppSec at DevOps Speed and Portfolio Scale."  There are a lot more ideas about how to create a scalable, realtime, and most importantly CONTINUOUS appsec capability.  --Jeff
bamchenry
bamchenry,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/2/2014 | 11:48:22 AM
Re: Large-Scale AppSec Programs
I have seen the "continuous" approach to AppSec be addressed by the DevOps model for IT, by creating a format for security teams to have input into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). At a scale of hundreds, much less thousands, of web applications, the challenge is balancing security with manageability, usability, and development velocity. Tailoring your application security practice at an app-by-app level is only tenable if there are few apps, so there are going to be some compromises in the name of manageability, usability, and dev velocity.
lazydogtown
lazydogtown,
 User Rank: Apprentice
4/6/2014 | 2:18:03 PM
> To state the obvious ... a decent waf would have blocked the morse-attack
> To state the obvious, there is no product on the planet that stops attacks in Morse code.

nope; a decent WAF like  naxsi would have blocked at least the morsecode-request with its core-ruleset

/know-it-all-mode off :D

 

yes, i know, a WAF is less than a plaster for insecure webapps and cannot protect from stupidity.

--ld
AnhT053
AnhT053,
 User Rank: Apprentice
9/5/2014 | 11:18:07 PM
http://www.playkix.net/
I enjoyed your article .. thank you for allowing her to share comments


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