Securing Cloud Applications By Using Security As a Code

Cloud applications are rapidly becoming a norm in the business world as most harness the benefits of flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This is due to the high usage of cloud security, which makes it more prone to misconfigurations and cyber attacks.

A study by Verizon shows that about 43% of data attacks in 2020 were cloud-based applications. This concern led to the concept of “Security as a Code.”

The SaC involves incorporating security into the building and development process rather than during damage remedial. By consolidating security into the apps, we at Growth Jockey ensure businesses can lessen the risks of data breaches and upgrade their overall safety.

In this article, we will examine the concept of SaaC, its benefits, and the best means of implementing it.

Cloud Applications

Before we dive into the concept of SaaC, let’s understand what cloud applications are and their types. Cloud applications are software applications that run on remote servers rather than a traditional local device.

Users can access them from any location with an internet connection, making them practical for businesses seeking scalability and security. The different types of cloud applications include;

• Software as a Service(SaaS)

• Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS)

• Platform as a Service(PaaS)

These applications offer various benefits that cut across, providing flexible options and efficient data collection and storage.

‘Security as a Code’

Security as a code is a modern approach to improving cloud computing safety in various cloud applications. It involves incorporating control and security goals as code and instantly applying them to enable the proper configuration of cloud services.

This is a new approach to securing cloud applications. The security checks are designed on the conception that security is a core attribute of the software development lifecycle(SDLC). Various safeguarding requirements should be outlined in the development of a project, including functional and non-functional.

This enables the use of stable processes and policies, resulting in the constant safety of resulting products, more satisfied clients, and reduced service breaches.

SaC's application design components include policy management and access control, security testing, and vulnerability scanning. These all help the development team spot and promptly manage safety issues in the software development cycle.

It works better than stalling the process until the product is complete. Using a SaC method, businesses serviced by Growth Jockey can create collaborative essence between their reliability team and development staff. Thus it makes safety a general responsibility with great emphasis from the beginning.

Some Cloud Application Threats on Security

How do you secure a cloud application? Before businesses can answer that, knowing the various security threats is essential.

1. Hijacking of Accounts

When businesses use weak passwords, and in the case of data breaches, it compromises legitimate accounts. This breach enables the attacker to access private data and control cloud assets.

2. Automated and Bots Attacks

Malicious scanners and bots are adverse realities of exposing business services to the internet. This is because their applications or cloud services face the risk of threats via automated attacks.

3. Unsafe APIs

APIs are common platforms for sharing information and data. This can be done within and externally in existing cloud environments. The levels of security for these mechanisms should be upgraded to avoid creating a surface for hackers.

4. DoS Attacks

Denial of Service attacks are targeted toward big enterprises and have been that way for a long time. With many modern firms relying on cloud services, these attacks have devastating impacts if left unchecked.

5. Data Oversharing

Cloud storage involves the process of moving data files through URLs. It vastly increases the risk of exposing assets to malicious and unauthorised users. Organisations that depend on public cloud domains should make drastic efforts to improve cloud computing security.

Essential Aspects of a Security as a Code (SaC) Methodologies

The most important components of Software as a Code plan include;

1. Security Testing

It involves the software-testing process for safety lapses, and its purpose is to review it through the perspective of the CIA Triad. The triad refers to the product's Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of software.

Integrity guarantees that the data is trusted and maintained properly. Furthermore, Confidentiality ensures that only authorised members access and modify specific data. Finally, availability provides a platform that ensures quick data delivery to authorised personnel.

2. Client and Data Entry Policies

These policies set concise access standards determining who gets permission to access specific data and their functions. They outline the set boundaries laid down for the users. For instance, the inability of a customer to alter product prices, whereas the seller can do so.

These policies observed at Growth Jockey guarantee that the correct user can access the appropriate features and functions.

3. Scanning of Vulnerabilities

It helps to rectify security weaknesses in software products. An example of such lapses is SQL injections, which involve the malicious use of SQL statements to bypass requirements.

Benefits of Using Security as a Code to Secure Cloud Applications

Software as a code, which treats software as a form of code, has several benefits, some of which include the following:

1. Speed and Efficiency

A significant benefit of software as a code is high speed and efficiency because the approach aids the team in automating manual processes. This reduces the effort and time needed to develop, test, and deploy software projects.

Additionally, it enables teams to automate the deployment methods, reducing the time it takes to produce the software.

2. Stable Security Policies

An important benefit of SaaC is its capability to turn security policies into code at the beginning of a project. This entails that all team members are on the same page concerning the implementation of a software project.

Some codified policies can be iterated throughout the SDLC lifecycle and won’t require a remodification. We at Growth Jockey believe in efficiency, and a part of this comes from eliminating time wastage when setting and reviewing policies.

The SaaC approach enables set policies to be reused in similar projects in the long run. This way, the Operation and Development teams have sufficient knowledge to run the secure code.

3. Improved Accuracy

Software as a code can help to increase the accuracy of software development. This is because code can be easily reviewed, tested, and debugged, lowering the risk of human mistakes.

Additionally, automated testing can aid in catching bugs and safety problems that arise during the development process. Ultimately, it lessens the risk and loss of software failures in production.

4. Test Automation

Another advantage of SaaC is the ability to automate the code review processes. While changes are being made to source code repositories, automated testing resources can immediately analyse and scan for potential safety lapses.

The final review results can be further sent to the development team in comprehensive reports. The team members can utilise this information to rectify the security lapses before they can be buried deep into the code repository.

5. Improved Communication and Collaboration

Software as a code improves collaboration and communication between development teams. This is achieved because many team members can share, comment on, and review code, thereby eliminating the risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Additionally, software as a code helps teams to work closely, reducing development hours and overall software quality.

6. Better Compliance

The SaaC model is an efficient way to comply with world software development criteria and standards. For instance, the Medical Technology system has strict coding requirements. These standards regulate software development for medical systems.

They also associate with vast attributes, like patient confidentiality, protected user activities, and overall regulatory compliance.

As strict and inflexible as these standards seem, they are implemented to combat security lapses and bugs in medical tools. Ultimately, it helps improve the patient’s confidence in the organisation’s data management.

An example of this medical cybersecurity requirement is the European Commission's published Guidance on Cybersecurity in Medical Devices.

7. Scalability and Flexibility

Lastly, software as a code offers businesses the flexibility and scalability needed to run a secure operation. This is because code gets easily modified and updated to meet evolving business needs, reducing the risk of obsolete information.

Additionally, software as a code can be upscaled to meet fluctuating demand, eliminating the risk of performance problems.

Conclusion

The issue of cybersecurity is a major concern in the business world, making the issue of improving cloud computing security critical. It seems to increase with the rise of remote and hybrid job contracts.

If businesses should stay afloat during these cyber attacks, they should invest largely in safety measures like SaC.

At Growth Jockey, we are fully committed to providing tailored solutions that effectively tackle the crucial challenges in cloud and cyber security faced by our clients across diverse industries. Regardless of the size of your company, whether it's a small-scale enterprise or a large corporation, you can now leverage the advantages of advanced technologies in cloud and cyber security.

Take the decisive step towards unlocking the next level of growth and protecting your brand by contacting us today!