Empowering Developers in Code Security

Effective security requires a shared responsibility model. Developers are already overburdened with their primary tasks of writing code and delivering features, and we think it is not realistic to expect them to know everything about security, be responsible for triaging and handling incidents on their own, or consider all the implications of security.

Adding security responsibilities without proper support and integration can lead to frustration, resistance, and, ultimately, a less secure environment. Yet, their involvement in fixing code security issues is crucial and cannot be replaced by security work.

We've seen "shifting left" being misinterpreted as simply handing developers security tools and more responsibility, yet we assume adding more tools has never been a solution to security. What we need is a platform that creates a collaborative environment where security is seamlessly integrated into the development process — tools and processes that empower developers to write secure code without adding unnecessary toil.

1. Empower Developers With Command-Line Tools

Developers love to be in control of their tooling, so it's essential to provide them with flexible security tools they can integrate into their local workflow. Rock solid CLIs, such as ggshield, provide just that: a tool used manually by developers or as a pre-commit (or pre-push) hooks to ensure every commit is scanned looking for issues.

Importantly, any tools you use should sync with a central platform. Stand-alone tools are good to a point, but without a way to report back findings and coordinate with the security team. For instance, with ggshield, developers are able to prevent many mistakes. Yet, if they decide to work around not adopting ggshield, the underlying platform it is connected to will still scan code when it is pushed to a shared repository or during the Continuous Integration process, stopping vulnerabilities from falling through the cracks. 

The number of overall incidents will decrease as developers adopt these guardrails and develop better security habits. This approach serves the developers by ensuring their code reaches production more often and keeps the organization safer.

2. Ensure Consistent Findings and Create a Common Language

Nothing kills collaboration faster than a crippling lack of understanding and an endless barrage of back-and-forth communication. How to avoid that? By ensuring all parties talk about the same thing in all the relevant contexts.

It is critical to gather all findings around into a logical unit rather than just displaying alerts in email or exporting them to a CSV or text file. This is commonly called an 'incident.' This approach also gives developers and security teams a common language to discuss any security issues, as each incident has a unique identifier and a clear timeline to track remediation progress. 

From one platform, teams can organize alerts, efficiently gather feedback from the developer at the right moment, and better coordinate the needed response. They can also introduce guardrails to the development teams, optionally blocking any problems before they can become full-blown incidents. We are here to help you throughout your security journey.

3. Partner With Developers in Incident Remediation

Gathering feedback from the developer involved is one critical juncture when remediating an incident. Your needs will vary but weigh if a tool allows full or partial access to share incidents. Ideally, any security platform should seamlessly integrate with developer productivity and planning tools like JIRA, Slack, or Confluence. 

4. Progressive Implementation of Guardrails for Better Code Security

When your team is ready to add security earlier in the development process, we suggest introducing 'guardrails' into their workflow. Guardrails, unlike wholly new processes, can slide into place unobtrusively, providing warnings about potential security issues only when they are actionable and true positives. Ideally, you want to minimize friction and enable developers to deliver safer, better code that will pass tests down the line.

One tool that is almost universal across development and DevOps teams is Git. With over 97% of developers using Git daily, it is a familiar platform that can be leveraged to enhance security. Built directly into Git is an automation platform called Git Hooks, which can trigger just-in-time scanning at specific stages of the Git workflow, such as right before a commit is made.

By catching issues before making a commit and providing direct feedback on how to fix them, developers can address security concerns with minimal disruption. This approach is much less expensive and time-consuming than addressing issues later in the development process. This can actually increase the time spent on new code by reducing the amount of maintenance that eventually needs to be done. 

Conclusion: More Security, Less Toil

Empowering developers in code security is crucial for minimizing vulnerabilities and ensuring the safety of the organization. By meeting developers where they are, providing seamless integration of security tools, and fostering a collaborative approach, security teams can unlock the full potential of their security tools.

Working together, security teams and developers can create a safer, more efficient development environment that benefits the entire organization. By embracing this collaborative approach, we can address the complexities of modern security challenges and achieve greater success in delivering secure code.