New software development processes and open source technologies have transformed the landscape of digital infrastructure security for businesses by shifting a significant part of the responsibility of security to the developers' side.
This shift in security is reflected in the integration and harmonization of security procedures with the rapid development and operation processes (DevOps) of applications. The implementation of DevSecOps processes, as the new model is called, and the inclusion of security measures in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) from the first step, is especially important for all organizations.
Flexible practices and safety
Flexible practices in the development and operation of applications, oblige the gradual creation of new capabilities, the speed of delivery and development and the rapid response to changes. The creation of small deliverables leads to a faster rate of software development, at regular, fixed intervals.
Unfortunately, by prioritizing the release of new versions with new features, security is often neglected. It is not uncommon for software development teams to become aware of the existence of security vulnerabilities during the final audits and after the whole project has been completed. This can lead to costly and time-consuming delays in delivery.
Containers serving as the solution to the dilemma "speed or security"
The extensive use of containers and micro-services technology seems to be the solution for secure and flexible software development. The containers "package" an application along with all its dependencies in the form of an image, allowing portability in any operating environment. Software development teams separate programs into parts that are integrated into containers and allow development and control in simulated environments, which largely mimic the final production environment.
Container technology contributes to the implementation of DevSecOps processes through the implementation of fast, repetitive application development and operation cycles, within a secure framework. The containers are unchanged and are never repaired at runtime, shifting the security checks to the "left", that is, in the software development cycle. Because updated container images can be thoroughly tested before they are deployed, there is less chance of introducing a security error into the production phase.
In other words, containers create an environment that contributes to increasing the consistency and predictability of the workload of developers, businesses and security, facilitating smoother collaboration between all those involved in the continuous delivery of applications.
In addition, malicious "perpetrators", it is more difficult to alter the infrastructure of containers. Containers are by nature ephemeral structures.
Epilogue
Of course, like anything else in the digital world, containers also present challenges in ensuring their safe operation. Such challenges are the identification of all containers used, the use of "infected" or falsified images, the unlimited communication between containers, and the isolation of containers from the hosting platforms to avoid the spread of a potential attack.
Organizations can use a variety of management tools (e.g. Kubernetes) and container security in order to minimize risks and take advantage of their capabilities, so that security is an integral part of continuous delivery, and not something that is considered after the development of software in production.
Whether these containers are located at an organization's premises or in the cloud, ADACOM can provide through an integrated platform and services:
- Visibility
- Vulnerability management
- Compliance
- Network Segmentation
- Creation of a Risk Profile
- Configuration Management
- Threat Detection
- Incident Response
in this new and dynamically evolving space of the era of digital transformation.
