Four Predictions for 2017 and Beyond

1. Runtime Security Instrumentation Finds More Adoption

I talked previously about application runtime security instrumentation, of which IAST/RASP are the most well known applications. Both IAST/RASP, as well as application runtime security instrumentation in general, will be more widely adopted in 2017 and beyond. As with any emerging technology, it goes through stages of adoption. In the past two years, a few companies have had success using such technologies. As these success stories emerge, more customers will hop on to these 2nd generation technologies.

2. More “As-a-Service” Deployment Options

The shift to cloud computing coupled with increasing DevOps practices are making companies, especially large enterprises, more comfortable with using 3rd party services entirely in the cloud. These companies want the benefits of agility, reduced operational overhead, and additional services that are available to them when they opt for SaaS offerings. This need for agility also drives customers to pick solutions that are easy to deploy and maintain, and do not require deep, dedicated expertise. As such, we should see a lot of growth in IAST/RASP, as well as the more general instrumentation category.

3. RASP Vendors, Emerging Viable Solutions

RASP was at the “peak of heightened expectations” in the latest Gartner AST Hype Cycle report. This means, among other things, that there is a gap between what vendors claim, and how customers expect the technology to perform. Performance overhead was a big problem for RASP, for example. That being said, some vendors have been able to deliver on the promise of the technology, while others have not. As more customers use and trying RASP, the viable/acceptable solutions will emerge and become better known.

4. A Wider Audience

The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report of 2016 showed that once again, web applications were the #1 source of data breaches (40%). As web application breaches continue to hit organizations large and small, demand for AppSec is bound to increase. We’re seeing it already; many users have built their application security program in the last 2 years. Furthermore, this wider audience is not necessarily running Java and .NET, which is what the bulk of the industry is doing. In fact we built the industry’s first PHP and Scala technology precisely because of customer requests. These new users have a unique opportunity to skip the first generation of technology and start their application security programs using the latest technologies, such as runtime security instrumentation, RASP, and IAST.