Securing your SDLC with Continuous Penetration Testing

The days of releasing a product into the market and then addressing bugs after the fact seems like a very distant memory. Ensuring that software is tested at every phase is not only highly recommended but a security mandate to ensure applications are secure before they are deployed. However, a recent survey highlighted that 67% of app developers have shipped code with known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This underscores the need for effective security testing along the entire software development life cycle (SDLC).

The SDLC has shifted from the older “waterfall” method to newer agile and DevOps approaches focusing on constantly integrating and delivering updates through CI/CD pipelines which has significantly changed the way software is developed.

Teams can now quickly push updates and new features speeding up the release cycle. Developers can now receive immediate feedback on code which allows for faster fixes and improvements. And much of the testing, building, and deployment processes are automated reducing manual effort. This is especially true when continuous penetration testing is automated to quickly detect flaws from the design phases through deployment.

Advantages of CI/CD Pipelines:

1. Speed and Flexibility: Developers can now respond to changes and fix issues swiftly.
2. Higher Quality: Frequent penetration testing and real-time feedback can catch flaws much earlier in the process.
3. Collaboration: Agile and DevOps encourage teamwork between developers, testers, and operation teams making collaboration and decision-making much faster.

Understanding Security Challenges in the Modern SDLC

Managing the SDLC can be challenging as flaws and potential threats can be discovered at any stage. Moreover, attackers see software development as an easy target in which to exploit vulnerabilities that may exist before the software is fully secured. These vulnerabilities can be introduced during the coding, testing, or deployment phases.

How Attackers Can Compromise Development:

1. Compromise the Development Environment: Attackers may target the development tools, pipelines, or repositories (e.g. version control systems like Git) to insert malicious code or steal sensitive information.
2. Exploit Weaknesses in Code: Vulnerabilities in early-stage or untested code like insecure APIs, libraries, or dependencies can be exploited for unauthorized access, data theft, or system manipulation.
3. Insert Backdoors: Attackers might try to insert a backdoor into the code during development giving them ongoing access to the system even after the software is deployed.
4. Target CI/CD Pipelines: Since CI/CD automates the integration and deployment process, attackers can manipulate these pipelines to introduce malicious code into the final product.

In the end, attackers are looking to steal intellectual property, insert malware or ransomware, and exploit security gaps early to compromise the final product. They usually focus on gaining access to systems or sensitive data, compromising the integrity of the software, or preparing for future attacks once the software is released.

Securing the Phases of SDLC

Phase I: Design and Architecture

Without a secure-by-design approach, the application architecture can have inherent security flaws. These flaws can become too difficult and expensive to fix later. For example, attempting to remove tight coupling and dependencies at a later stage can prove significantly more cumbersome compared to starting with loosely coupled microservices architecture from the outset.

Phase II: Development and Implementation

Coding errors like buffer overflows, embedding sensitive data directly in code, and improper input validation can introduce vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), unauthorized access, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

Phase III: Composition and Integration

Integration of third-party components like libraries, frameworks, container images, and services can introduce vulnerabilities even if the source code itself is secure. This is a major concern given the prevalence of supply chain attacks.

Phase IV: Deployment

Misconfigurations during deployment can create critical vulnerabilities. Examples of such misconfigurations include unnecessary access permissions, open ports, insecure default configurations, insufficient network security, and misconfigured cloud storage buckets.

Phase V: Updates and Maintenance

New features and enhancements introduced during application updates can keep introducing new vulnerabilities due to changes in code or configurations.

Online resources like OWASP Top 10 and CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) publicly list exploitable vulnerabilities as soon as they are discovered. These resources, along with automated vulnerability scanners and OSINT (Open-source Intelligence) tools, are equally accessible to malicious actors as well. Even amateur cybercriminals can use them to launch successful exploits. Therefore, ongoing security testing like continuous penetration testing can be pivotal to identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses before the application or subsequent changes go into production.

Shift-Left Security: Integrating Penetration Testing Services Across SDLC

The traditional approach of performing security testing only at the end of the SDLC is no longer sufficient for modern CI/CD pipelines. When using penetration testing services in a shift-left approach, security testing happens alongside development, not after the software is built.

With continuous penetration testing, pentest experts work with developers during the early stages to find vulnerabilities in the code or system. They test the software for weaknesses while it’s being made so issues can be fixed right away. This helps address potential security problems before they become bigger and harder to fix.

However, integrating penetration testing services across all SDLC phases can be resource-intensive, potentially diverting valuable resources from development and innovation. DevOps teams can integrate continuous penetration testing into their SDLC to test each build for vulnerabilities, saving critical time and resources.

By deploying continuous penetration testing early in the development phase and continuing it throughout the SDLC, including deployment, regular updates, and maintenance, organizations can embrace a “shift-left” approach to security. This approach emphasizes designing and building applications with security in mind, ultimately reducing cyber risk exposure once the software goes into production.

Best Practices for Implementing Continuous Penetration Testing in SDLC

1. Perform continuous penetration testing throughout your SDLC pipeline for early vulnerability detection and faster remediation.
2. Combine continuous penetration testing with manual penetration testing by certified experts to detect complex vulnerabilities and zero-day threats that automated tools might miss.
3. Select CREST-Accredited providers to ensure strict ethical and professional guidelines are followed.
4. Ensure comprehensive coverage, going beyond web applications to cover network security, cloud environments, third-party integrations, and mobile/desktop applications.
5. Prioritize vulnerabilities based on severity and potential impact. Focus on addressing the most critical security issues first.
6. Combine continuous penetration testing with Attack Surface Management (ASM) and Exposure Management (EM) for better coverage and resource optimization.
7. Maintain live documentation and reporting for clear communication and to demonstrate security posture to stakeholders.
8. Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
9. Establish KPIs like MTTD (Mean Time to Detect) and MTTR (Mean Time to Remediate) to assess the effectiveness of your penetration testing strategy.

BreachLock: Your Partner in Building a Secure and Resilient SDLC

BreachLock is a global provider of PTaaS, including continuous penetration testing. BreachLock’s SDLC penetration testing ensures proactive vulnerability detection and cybersecurity validation throughout fast-paced CI/CD pipelines within SecDevOps environments.

BreachLock integrates pentesting results within DevOps workflows through API connections to platforms like Jira, Slack, Okta, and Trello. This streamlines remediation and fosters seamless collaboration between development, security, and operations teams.

Organizations can also leverage other solutions like attack surface management or red teaming to augment their continuous pentesting with the expertise of CREST-accredited penetration testers. A hybrid approach that includes both human-delivered and continuous penetration testing services ensures a comprehensive approach to securing software applications within an agile and robust SDLC.

Schedule a discovery call with BreachLock today to learn how you can build secure and resilient software applications with our comprehensive penetration testing services.

About BreachLock

BreachLock is a global leader in Continuous Attack Surface Discovery and Penetration Testing services. Continuously discover, prioritize, and mitigate exposures with evidence-backed Attack Surface Management, Penetration Testing, and Red Teaming.

Elevate your defense strategy with an attacker’s view that goes beyond common vulnerabilities and exposures. Each risk we uncover is backed by validated evidence. We test your entire attack surface and help you mitigate your next cyber breach before it occurs.

Know your risk. Contact BreachLock today!