What is Application Security Posture Management (ASPM)?
Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) is a modern approach to improving your security posture and unlocking AppSec visibility across the entire CI/CD pipeline. A mature ASPM program helps prioritize security risks, maintain policy compliance, and break AppSec silos across the SDLC.
Who is ASPM for?
ASPM is crucial for any large enterprise that has set its sight at implementing DevSecOps and automating security controls throughout their software delivery process. This is crucial because it will help enterprises maintain the velocity of their software delivery process without compromising on security.
For CISOs and security leaders the world over, this is a top priority because they are the ones accountable for cyber breaches or any kind of downtime. With an effective ASPM program, they can set up security guardrails, streamline compliance management, manage policies and prepare for audits – all key to a healthy security posture.
Why is ASPM important in modern Software Development?
Some key reasons for the increasing need for ASPM in modern software development are:
- Increasing cybersecurity threat landscape
- Growing complexity of software applications and tech stack
- Siloed Security and DevOps data due to tool sprawl
1. Increasing cybersecurity threat landscape
New vulnerabilities are reported almost daily, expanding the cybersecurity threat landscape. Enterprises must ensure these threats or CVEs do not infiltrate their codebase or impact the software supply chain.
2. Growing complexity of software applications and tech stack
Modern applications and tech stacks are becoming significantly more complex to maintain. New tools are constantly added and distributed teams often bring their own tooling ecosystems, adding to the complexity.
3. Siloed Security and DevOps data due to tool sprawl
With multiple distributed teams working in parallel, using their own tools, scattered across numerous platforms leads to central teams struggling to gain complete visibility into the security posture.
The lack of data consolidation, ownership details, and insights to deployment health are further evidence which highlight the need for a fool-proof security program.
How does ASPM fit into DevOps / DevSecOps?
While traditional security testing practices were siloed in nature i.e., performed at different stages of SDLC with disconnected tools, ASPM is a more holistic approach where there is no room for silo. Different tools, be it for Security or DevOps, are integrated with each other and work in tandem to achieve their primary goal – to upkeep a healthy security posture.
In fast-paced DevOps and DevSecOps environments, addressing security issues in isolated stages often leads to:
- Disjointed testing.
- An increasing backlog of unresolved vulnerabilities.
- Missed alerts and reports from AppSec tools.
- Challenges of enforcement and trust between developers and security teams.
ASPM addresses these challenges by:
- Tracking security issues across all development stages.
- Prioritizing security issues in a timely manner.
- Automating security monitoring.
- Enforcing AppSec policies within the delivery pipeline.
This comprehensive approach ensures that security issues are effectively mitigated throughout the development lifecycle.
What does ASPM involve?
ASPM practices are usually complemented by tools and strategies around security testing and code scanning to manage a robust defense against security threats. Other activities include compliance management, vulnerability mitigation and incident response. In essence, ASPM refers to a set of security best practices designed to manage the security posture of an organization’s application deployments. Let’s look at all of the components of ASPM in detail.
What are the tools and workflows used in ASPM?
These are primarily 10 AppSec testing workflows that must be a part of your ASPM program. I’ve explained those workflows in brief along with tools used to perform them.
- SAST (Static Application Security Testing) tools analyze source code to identify vulnerabilities and security flaws early in the development process, helping to enhance security and reduce remediation costs. Tools used are SonarQube, Bandit, ESLint, Brakeman, and GitLab SAST.
- DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) tools analyze running applications to identify security vulnerabilities in real-time by simulating external attacks, uncovering issues such as SQL injections and cross-site scripting. Tools used are ZAP (OWASP Zed Attack Proxy), Arachni, Nikto, and SQLMap.
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools identify vulnerabilities and license issues in open-source components used in applications, ensuring they comply with security standards and licensing requirements. Tools used are Snyk, Trivy, and OWASP Dependency-Check.
- Secrets Management tools securely store, manage, and control access to sensitive information such as passwords, API keys, and encryption keys, ensuring they are protected from unauthorized access and breaches. Tools used are HashiCorp Vault, Conjur, Bitwarden, and Keywhiz.
- Secrets Scanning tools detect and identify hard-coded secrets, such as passwords and API keys, within code repositories and configuration files, helping to prevent security vulnerabilities and unauthorized access. Tools used are TruffleHog, Detect Secrets, and GitLeaks.
- Binary/ Image Scanning tools analyze container images and binaries to detect security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues, ensuring the integrity and security of deployed software artifacts. Tools used are Clair, Anchore Engine, Grype, and Trivy.
- Artefact Management tools oversee the storage, versioning, and distribution of software artifacts throughout the development lifecycle, ensuring efficient collaboration and reliable software deployment. Tools used are Clair, Anchore Engine, Grype, Trivy, OWASP Dependency-Check, and Dependency-Track.
- Environment and IaC Security tools ensure the security and compliance of cloud and on-premises environments by automating security checks, detecting configuration drifts, and enforcing regulatory standards and policies. Tools used are Kubescape, Checkov, Terrascan, and tfsc.
- Vulnerability Management tools identify, prioritize, and remediate security vulnerabilities in systems and applications to strengthen cybersecurity posture and reduce exposure to potential threats. Tools used are OpenVAS, Clair, and Nessus Essentials.
- Compliance-as-Code tools automate security and regulatory compliance checks within IT environments by translating compliance requirements into code, enabling continuous monitoring, and facilitating automated remediation to ensure adherence to standards and policies. Tools used are Ansible, InSpec, OpenScap, Lynis, and OSSEC.
In case you want to read about this in detail, head to this blog on “Top 10 Ultimate DevSecOps Tools For a Robust AppSec Posture”.
What are the components of ASPM?
As I explained earlier, ASPM does not exclusively refer to a single process or tool, it is in fact the process of incorporating various best practices in order to improve the overall security posture of an application. Following are the most common practices that an ASPM process at an enterprise will comprise of:
- Vulnerability Management
- Compliance
- Risk Mitigation
- Incident Response
- Secure Development Practices
- Third-Party Risk Management
- Continuous Monitoring
- Protection Against Emerging Threats
1. Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities are inevitable no matter how secure your development practices are. A robust ASPM process should include a mature vulnerability management program. By leveraging the right tools, you can effectively identify and manage vulnerabilities as and when they are reported, conduct regular security scans and assessments to discover potential weaknesses or security gaps in the code, libraries, or configurations.
2. Compliance
In industries such as banking/ finance, companies often need to comply with various regulations and industry standards. ASPM solutions can help in codifying policies, and ensure applications adhere to these compliance standards, thus helping organizations avoid legal and financial consequences due to non-adherence.
3. Risk Mitigation
Understanding and mitigating security risks associated with applications is crucial. An active ASPM program helps organizations prioritize and address the most critical security issues, reducing the overall risk of security breaches and data compromises.
4. Incident Response
In the event of a security incident or breach, having a robust ASPM strategy in place allows organizations to respond quickly and effectively. It aids in identifying the root cause of the incident, assessing the impact, and implementing corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
5. Secure Development Practices
As the saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’, maintaining securing standards and best practices from the start of software development can help companies reduce the likelihood of introducing vulnerabilities and ensure that security is an integral part of the application development process. Secure coding standards, role-based access control, user authentication and authorization and application security testing form the basics of secure development practices.
6. Third-Party Risk Management
A report published on the Linux Foundation states that nearly 70%-90% of any given piece of modern software solution consists of Free and Open Source Software. And by now, it is common knowledge that most open source packages/ libraries are prone to security threats. A formal ASPM program can help organizations assess the security of these third-party elements, ensuring no vulnerabilities are introduced into the application.
7. Continuous Monitoring
When it comes to software vulnerabilities, you can only mitigate what you can detect. So the critical first step is to actually monitor & detect. Security is an ongoing process, and continuous monitoring of applications is an essential aspect of an ASPM process if we are to detect and respond to emerging threats in a timely manner. This proactive approach helps organizations stay ahead of potential security issues.
8. Security Policy Enforcement
Security policy enforcement ensures that applications adhere to defined security policies and standards. By effectively enforcing security policies, organizations can mitigate risks, enhance their security posture, and align application security with business objectives and regulatory requirements
What are the critical capabilities of an ASPM solution?
While we discussed the various components of ASPM earlier, let me address which among these are the most critical capabilities for an ASPM solution and justify it in brief.
1. Vulnerability Management
It must be able to regularly conduct scans and identify vulnerabilities in application code, configurations, and dependencies. Once identified, it must also help prioritize vulnerability remediation based on severity, impact, and exploitability.
2. Compliance and Governance
The ASPM solution must be able to enforce security policies across the application lifecycle and ensure compliance standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS are met.
3. Risk Assessment and Risk Management
The ASPM solution must be able to constantly assess the overall risk posture and automatically implement strategies to mitigate identified risks.
4. Continuous Monitoring
It must continuously monitor the applications for security threats, vulnerabilities, and compliance deviations and send real-time alerts and notifications to the concerned parties.
5. Security Testing Integration
It must be able to integrate with different SAST, DAST and IAST tools and provide insights.
6. Threat Intelligence
It must integrate with threat intelligence sources and provide updates on emerging threats. It must also leverage Contextual Analysis to enhance the accuracy and relevance of security assessments.
7. Incident Response
It must be able to quickly detect and help you respond to security incidents by setting up the right workflows and tools to manage the response and remediation processes.
8. Scalability and Flexibility
The ASPM solution must be able to support various deployment environments including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures and ensure that ASPM practices scale with the organization’s needs and growth.
Difference between AppSec, SecOps, CSPM, and ASPM
ASPM, CSPM, AppSec and SecOps are terminologies used frequently in this blog. Before I confuse the readers too much, let me clarify what the differences between these terminologies are.
1. AppSec (Application Security)
AppSec focuses specifically on securing an application (web apps/ mobile apps/other software systems).
It involves identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in the application code, design, and architecture. The primary goal of AppSec is to ensure that applications are developed and maintained with security in mind, reducing the risk of security breaches and vulnerabilities.
AppSec activities include Secure Development Practices, and Security Testing, etc.
2. SecOps (Security Operations)
SecOps focuses on the operational aspects of cybersecurity (incident detection, response, and monitoring of security events). It involves managing and responding to security incidents, as well as maintaining the overall security posture. The primary goal is to ensure the ongoing security and resilience of an organization’s IT infrastructure by responding to incidents, managing vulnerabilities, and implementing proactive security measures.
Activities include Incident Response, Security Monitoring, and Vulnerability Management, etc.
3. CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management)
CSPM refers to the tools and practices designed to help organizations secure their cloud environments by managing and enhancing the security posture of cloud infrastructure, services, and configurations. The goal is to identify and remediate potential security risks, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities in cloud environments.
Activities include Identity and Access Management (IAM) Analysis, Continuous Monitoring, and Compliance Management among others.
4. ASPM (Application Security Posture Management)
ASPM is a broad term that encompasses the overall management and assessment of an organization’s application security posture. It involves not only securing individual applications but also ensuring that the organization’s approach to application security is comprehensive and effective.
Activities include Vulnerability Management, Compliance Management, Risk Mitigation, and Continuous Monitoring.
What are the benefits of ASPM?
Practicing Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) is a crucial aspect of ensuring Software development life cycle (SDLC) security. Some of the key benefits are:
1. Application Visibility
One of the primary business benefits of ASPM is that it provides comprehensive visibility into the security posture of applications across the development lifecycle, ensuring proactive threat detection and threat mitigation.
2. Application Inventory
ASPM enables centralized management and oversight of application inventory, facilitating efficient resource allocation and risk management across the organization making it easier to maintain SBOM and DBOM (Delivery Bill of Materials).
3. Early Detection of Vulnerabilities
ASPM tools and processes conduct regular security scans and assessments, thus enabling early detection of vulnerabilities in applications. Thus this allows for timely remediation and reduces the risk of exploitation.
4. Improved Compliance Management
A structured ASPM process enables organizations to adhere to industry regulations and compliance standards. By automating compliance checks and providing audit reports, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to security and meet legal requirements.
5. Improved Incident Response
ASPM recommends the use of tools and processes for effective incident response and remediation. Such formal practices are bound to improve a team’s incident response game.
6. Business Continuity and Resilience
A robust ASPM process contributes to the overall resilience of applications, ensuring business continuity in the face of security threats. This can help organizations maintain critical business operations even during security incidents.
7. Customer Trust and Confidence
Users are more likely to trust applications that have undergone rigorous security assessments and actively managed to address potential risks. Thus, demonstrating a commitment to ASPM enhances customer trust and confidence.
8. Reduced AppSec Silos
This is one of the greatest benefits that central DevOps teams can gain with a robust ASPM program. ASPM by definition will consolidate security data scattered across siloed tools and give greater visibility into the security posture of an application.
How to integrate ASPM with your development process (CI/CD pipelines)
ASPM can be integrated into your software development workflows by incorporating the various components of ASPM explained earlier in the blog. Off the different best practices, let me summarize the 3 most important ones below.
1. Automation of Security Testing
Integrating various security tools with your CI/CD pipeline and automating security checks such as SAST, DAST, and SCA as part of your release checklists in an automated build and deployment workflow is an effective strategy to implement ASPM.
2. Shift-left Security
Educating developers of secure coding standards, providing frequent security training to employees, prioritizing security checks and scans from the very beginning of software development are key initiatives that can help a team integrate ASPM into their software development workflows.
3. Vulnerability Remediation Program
Last but not the least, having a structured vulnerability remediation program shows that the organization is always prepared to tackle security threats and shows a strong commitment towards ensuring Application Security.
These are some of the activities that can be undertaken to quickly establish ASPM in your organization. However you are not limited to these, and I recommend you to incorporate the other best practices mentioned above in the ‘components section to establish a more mature ASPM program.
What are considerations must enterprises keep in mind when implementing ASPM?
Enterprises need to consider several critical factors to ensure the solution is effective, aligns with organizational needs, and integrates seamlessly with existing systems. Here are the key considerations:
1. Integration with Existing Systems
Integrate with existing workflows to ensure that ASPM enhances, rather than disrupts, the organization’s operational processes. And once integrated, it should capture siloed data from different processes/workflows, and provide you with contextual analysis.
2. Technical requirements
You must ask yourself the following questions prior to implementing them:
A. Does the ASPM Tool Support Risk-Based Scoring?
B. Does the Tool Unify Threat Ingestion?
C. Does the Solution Help Enforce Relevant Security Policies?
D. Does the ASPM Tool Produce Dynamic Contextual Insights?
E. Does the ASPM Tool Help Generate Audit Reports?
3. Implementation Approach
You must consider the following when implementing the ASPM solution:
A. The reputation and experience of the vendor providing the software
B. If it offers features such as risk-based scoring, threat ingestion, dynamic insights, policy enforcement, and audit reporting?
C. Can it handle an increasing number of applications, users, and data as the organization scales?
D. If the solution is flexible and modular in its approach?
4. Assessing Organizational Needs
More than the ASPM tool itself, you need to check if your team is ready to accept the process change(s) and it must be approved by all the concerned stakeholders. You need to then ensure that the right training and awareness is provided to concerned teams and employees.
Conclusion
I hope this blog helped you understand what ASPM is and why you should steer your organization towards adopting these best practices. The benefits associated with establishing a structured ASPM practice are plenty. By unlocking visibility into your application’s security posture, not only are you protected against security threats, but you can also build a strong brand image on the pillars of trust and user experience.
About OpsMx
If you’re looking to integrate DevSecOps practices within your software deliver pipeline or looking to improve your application security posture, then I recommend you check out OpsMx’s Deploy Shield which is CD-agnostic and extends the capabilities of your current CI/CD tooling with application security orchestration, correlation, and posture management.
If you have any feedback for this blog, you can contact me on LinkedIn, or reach out to me via one of our CI/CD experts.
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