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What Drives A Developer To Use Security Tools -- Or Not
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Erik Klein
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50%
Erik Klein,
 User Rank: Apprentice
9/24/2015 | 12:58:29 PM
What if the developer didn't need to USE a tool?
This article reports on the factors that influence a software developer to proactively stop the process of developing software, perform a context-switch, and execute a security tool ... steps that do not contribute to the functional deliverables of the SDLC.

Of course there would be pushback ... unless the developer is compensated for secure code.

But what if accurate application security vulnerabilities could be identified before code check-in without any of the steps mentioned above?  What if the applciation security vulnerabilities were identified simply from the FUNCTIONAL development and usage of the system?

As a former developer (and current AppSec tooling guy), I am always looking for ways to invisibly inject security into the SDLC ... ways that do NOT require a new line item in a project plan, an extra step in the coding / development process, or a self-imposed "wait state" in order to get application security results ... and, ideally, to have appication security vulnerabilities identified continuously and in real-time as an invisible and natural by-product of the process of building and testing software in an SDLC without regard for "Security Testing".

I have found that passive IAST products are capable of achieving this goal and not only enabling developers to identify and fix their vulnerabilities before the code leaves their desktop, but actually proactively reaching out to them to show the exact line of code that is vulnerable ... ALL WITHOUT A SCAN or extra step ... all in real-time from performing the very act that all developers do before checking in code ... FUNCTIONAL sanity/smoke testing.

Contrast Security provides such a solution.
Dr.T
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50%
Dr.T,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2015 | 4:07:40 PM
Re: Monkey see Monkey do
Comfortable medium is somewhere we keep the balance of CIA: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability. If you push one side more than others it eventually causes other problems. Keep in mind that there will never be a "Secure" system.
Kelly Jackson Higgins
50%
50%
Kelly Jackson Higgins,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/26/2015 | 4:07:25 PM
Re: Security makes it complex
Wow, @Dr. T. That's a shame. That says a lot about the problem. No one expects a dev to write perfect code--not possible--but if they had more support in writing more secure and better code, maybe they would find it challenging yet realistic.
Dr.T
50%
50%
Dr.T,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2015 | 4:05:12 PM
Re: Monkey see Monkey do
Psychological perspective security may not even really matter, we are all concern about privacy in most cases.
Dr.T
50%
50%
Dr.T,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2015 | 4:03:16 PM
Re: User-Experience
Agree. User experience may be important factor why some of our codes are not as secure as they could be.
Dr.T
50%
50%
Dr.T,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2015 | 4:01:57 PM
Re: Monkey see Monkey do
Money tests can really catch lost for security vulnerabilities that standard set of test action items.
Dr.T
50%
50%
Dr.T,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2015 | 3:59:46 PM
Security makes it complex

I know some of my developer friends stop doing development since they started thinking that it is getting harder and harder to write a code in secure way, so they just give up. :--))
RyanSepe
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50%
RyanSepe,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/25/2015 | 11:47:22 AM
Re: Monkey see Monkey do
Very interesting. Looking at it from a psychological perspective it would seem that developers are hardcoded for functionality while security folk are hardwired towards safeguards. How do we reach a comfortable medium?
Kelly Jackson Higgins
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50%
Kelly Jackson Higgins,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/25/2015 | 9:12:23 AM
Re: Monkey see Monkey do
I thought it was interesting to look at the issue from a psychological perspective. That may well be a key element in bridging the gap between the dev and security worlds.
RyanSepe
50%
50%
RyanSepe,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/25/2015 | 9:08:00 AM
User-Experience
Also, user experience is another event that needs to be understood here. If the developer has a good experience with the tool they are more likely to use it in the future than if they had a bad experience. This principle is universal.
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