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Software development is evolving, and application security must evolve along with it. Traditional application security solutions are not keeping up with the way developers work today, or the way attackers do. A new approach to application security is needed, and ASPM plays a critical role in that approach.
Application security posture management (ASPM) is a tool to address these complexities by providing a new level of visibility into the software development process and its security controls. Let’s break it down.
What Is ASPM?
Application Security Posture Management or ASPM gives security teams a clear view of the full software factory, its assets, its owners, its security controls, its vulnerabilities, and how all are related.
With this view, security teams can ensure the integrity, governance, and compliance of every software release.
Key features of ASPM include:
- Centralized visibility: Track all assets, pipelines, and repositories in one place.
- Prioritized risk: Use risk-based scoring to prioritize vulnerabilities.
- Integration with development and security tools: Seamlessly connect with tools your teams already use.
Why Do You Need ASPM?
Application development is becoming more complex, and cyberthreats are targeting every stage of the software lifecycle, beyond source code. At the same time, traditional AppSec testing tools are leaving coverage gaps and inundating teams with findings without guidance on how to address them. ASPM tools help companies get a handle on their application development process, shore up gaps, and manage all the findings from their AppSec testing. ASPM offers a proactive approach to safeguarding the application development process, providing the tools and insights necessary to avoid risks and helping your organization lower operational costs. Here are the challenges it mitigates.
The Security Challenges of Modern Software Development
Modern development environments are a double-edged sword. On one side, they enable rapid innovation, and on the other, they dramatically expand the attack surface.
Key challenges include:
Visibility
Fragmented development environments make it hard to track all assets and identify vulnerabilities. ASPM centralizes this information so you always know what’s in the ecosystem.
Correlation
Linking security issues to their root causes requires context. ASPM connects the dots across tools, teams, and processes, helping you understand and address risks effectively.
Complexity
Modern development pipelines have countless tools and integrations, with a corresponding increase in opportunities to introduce risk. ASPM helps highlight and secure things like misconfigurations and exposed secrets.
The Security Challenges of Modern Attacker Tactics
To take advantage of the vulnerabilities created by modern software development environments, sophisticated attackers have expanded their focus beyond front-end applications.
Now, attackers also increasingly target software supply chain factory components (pipelines, build servers, libraries, tools, and processes).
Simply scanning for vulnerabilities in code is no longer adequate; ASPM helps shore up all the areas attackers now target, across the SDLC.
What Are the Benefits of ASPM?
ASPM offers one platform that corrals AppSec chaos, scales as development organizations grow and change, and offers a clear view of the full software factory and how everything’s related.
ASPM helps teams:
- Mitigate high-priority security vulnerabilities to reduce risk intelligently
- Uncover shadow IT, systems, and source code
- Measure the blast radius of vulnerabilities—the potential impact of a security breach within a system
- Provide guardrails that allow developers to move fast without security controls slowing them down
- Streamline regulation compliance by proving where controls are deployed
- Evaluate application business criticality
- Provide a common language for executives, developers, and security teams to understand risks
- Show progress in reducing risks
ASPM Compared to Other Security Tools
Different ASPM vendors provide a holistic approach to securing applications across their entire lifecycles, setting them apart from traditional tools focusing on narrower software security aspects. Let’s explore how ASPM compares to some common tools and approaches:
ASPM Vs. Code Scanners
Code scanners, such as static application security testing (SAST) tools, analyze source code to uncover vulnerabilities. But they lack the broader context of how these vulnerabilities interact within the development environment. In addition, these scanners only look at application risk and largely ignore the risk found in the software factory, like weaknesses in the CI/CD pipeline. ASPM bridges this gap by not only identifying risk across the SDLC, but also by correlating vulnerabilities with the surrounding ecosystem, leading to better prioritization and targeted remediation.
ASPM Vs. ASOC
Application security orchestration and correlation (ASOC) tools aggregate and manage outputs from various security solutions, primarily addressing pre-production code. ASPM takes this further by integrating with every layer of the software factory—code, pipelines, and infrastructure—to provide a more comprehensive security overview.
ASPM Vs. CSPM
Cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools secure cloud infrastructure configurations. While CSPM ensures secure cloud setups, ASPM works across the SDLC from development to deployment, offering end-to-end visibility and integration.
ASPM Vs. CNAPP
Cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs) secure cloud environments, emphasizing runtime protection. ASPM complements CNAPP by embedding security measures earlier in the development cycle, addressing risks before they reach deployment.
How Does ASPM Work?
Here are some of the key ways ASPM works:
Software Discovery and Inventory
ASPM solutions identify and catalog all aspects of the software factory and its security controls. This comprehensive inventory offers visibility into your entire environment, reducing the risk of overlooked vulnerabilities and unprotected assets.
Prioritization of Security Testing Findings
ASPM integrates findings from AppSec testing tools like SAST, dynamic application security testing (DAST), and software composition analysis (SCA). ASPM provides the context needed to make sense of and prioritize these findings.
Dependency Analysis
ASPM maps dependencies and data flows within your software ecosystem. This identifies potential weak points in the application’s structure, helping teams address risks holistically and maintain a strong security posture.
Continuous Monitoring
ASPM provides real-time monitoring to detect vulnerabilities, configuration issues, and other risks as they arise. Dashboards and alerts keep teams informed, facilitating quick responses to emerging threats and maintaining security throughout the application lifecycle.
Key ASPM Capabilities
ASPM software comes equipped with powerful features that streamline application security. Here are some of the most important capabilities:
- Integration with third-party tools: ASPM integrates seamlessly with existing CI/CD pipelines, development tools, and security platforms to quickly identify how and where applications are being developed as well as security coverage gaps.
- Sensitive data identification: ASPM detects exposed secrets across your development environment, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
- Risk-based scoring: By prioritizing vulnerabilities based on context and potential impact, ASPM helps teams address the most critical risks first.
- Compliance reporting: ASPM generates detailed reports tailored to various regulatory standards, making it easier to demonstrate compliance and pass audits.
- Real-time alerts: Continuous monitoring enables ASPM to provide instant notifications when risks or vulnerabilities are detected, allowing teams to respond quickly and mitigate potential damage.
Legit Security: Your Ideal ASPM Platform
Know your application security posture is legit, and prove it. Build a scalable security program foundation to reduce risk, protect your software products, and make compliance easier across complex environments. Book a demo today.