How do you integrate ASVS verification into your development lifecycle and continuous delivery pipeline?

To integrate ASVS verification into your development lifecycle and continuous delivery pipeline, define your security objectives based on ASVS requirements. Use automated security testing tools for static and dynamic analysis, as well as dependency scanning. Conduct manual verification and provide security training for developers. Implement continuous monitoring in production to detect and respond to security incidents.

OWASP Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS) must also be integrated into the software development lifecycle as follows: > Map ASVS requirements for your projects and assign relevant levels of the same based on risk profile. > Apply ASVS guidelines to architecture and threat modeling. > Integrating security testing tools into your CI/CD pipeline. > Add automated security steps to your CI process (to find the flaw early). > Conducting final security tests before release to production Validate ASVS compliance. > Monitor Continuously and always remain updated on security measures in light of any new threats and vulnerabilities.

🔍 Early Requirement Definition: Incorporate OWASP ASVS (Application Security Verification Standard) requirements into the initial design and planning stages of development. 🔧 Automated Security Testing: Implement automated security checks in your CI/CD pipeline to verify ASVS compliance with each code deployment (e.g., using tools like OWASP ZAP or SAST tools). 🛠 Code Reviews: Ensure ASVS requirements are part of manual code reviews, focusing on key areas like authentication, data validation, and error handling. 📊 Security Gates: Introduce security gates in the pipeline to block deployments that do not meet the minimum ASVS verification level or fail critical security checks.

Integrating the OWASP ASVS into the development lifecycle is crucial for building secure applications from the ground up. By embedding security at every stage—starting with aligning ASVS requirements during the design phase, automating security checks (SAST/DAST) in the CI/CD pipeline, and ensuring code reviews focus on security—you can significantly reduce vulnerabilities. I’ve found that making security testing an automated part of the CI/CD process not only ensures compliance with ASVS but also speeds up the development cycle by catching issues early.

ASVS is notoriously difficult to integrate and stay in compliance with as part of your SDLC. In fact, most teams shouldn't bother. To implement ASVS your dev team needs to be multi-disciplinary where AppSec experts are embedded with your developers and monitoring your SDLC right from design to delivery, plus using specialist tools to enforce compliance. Most dev teams don't have this capability because good AppSec experts are hard to find & very expensive. A more practical approach is to automate code scanning (SAST) & runtime scanning (DAST) for your APIs and web apps from your SDLC. Combine this with a great WAF and CSPM tool. Fix identified issues immediately. Then run quarterly/6-monthly manual pen tests using the ASVS framework.

In my role as an ethical hacker and cybersecurity professional, I have led multiple projects where integrating ASVS guidelines into the security design and architecture of applications was paramount. One such example was during a project for a fintech company, where we applied ASVS Level 3 to safeguard sensitive financial data. We used secure coding practices, integrated encryption libraries, and performed rigorous code reviews to ensure compliance with the required security standards. This approach not only met regulatory requirements but also reduced our attack surface by eliminating common vulnerabilities early in the development process.

Integrating Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS) verification into your development lifecycle and continuous delivery pipeline is crucial for ensuring the security of your applications. Begin by conducting an initial assessment of your application's security posture using ASVS guidelines. Incorporate ASVS requirements into your development lifecycle, conducting security reviews during design and code reviews, and integrating security testing into your build process. Automate security testing wherever possible and implement continuous monitoring of your application's security posture. Ensure your development team is trained on ASVS requirements and best practices for secure development.

If there's one thing to teach your developers it is "never trust user input" If there are 2 things to teach your developers it is "defense in depth"

Automation is key to maintaining a consistent and reliable security posture. I've seen firsthand how integrating security testing into the CI/CD pipeline can transform the security culture within a development team. For example, in a recent project, we used a combination of static code analysis tools and dynamic security testing frameworks to continuously monitor for vulnerabilities throughout the software development lifecycle. This automated approach enabled us to detect and address security flaws in real-time, preventing them from reaching production. It also allowed the development team to focus on innovation while maintaining a strong security foundation.

More than any framework, security automation that works within your SDLC, from things like your CI/CD pipelines is going to keep your security posture high. Interestingly, by removing the human element from your security program you're also more likely to see security activities being performed regularly - much like functional bug fixes might be performed by your teams today. There are 5 key automation tools that you need: 1. Automated code scanning (SAST); 2. Automated runtime scanning (DAST) for your web apps; 3. Automated runtime scanning of your APIs; 4. A great WAF; and 5. A CSPM tool to keep your cloud infrastructure security strong. Running tools 1-3 as part of your CI/CD will help your devs to fix security issues immediately.

Scan for insecure code and vulnerable components at the IDE phase, when developers write code. It's fast, contextual, and just in time for them to address and fix security issues.

It’s essential to foster cross-functional collaboration between development, security, and operations teams. During a large-scale implementation for a healthcare platform, we established regular security training and awareness sessions for developers, which significantly improved their understanding of secure coding practices. By empowering developers with security knowledge, we not only enhanced the overall security of our applications but also created a more cohesive and proactive development environment. Additionally, we implemented a feedback loop where developers could suggest improvements to security controls based on their experiences, ensuring continuous improvement in our security practices.

Security training if often recommended for devs. But in this day and age, security training is usually a waste of money. Most people learn new skills on the job, rather than classroom-style courses. Your devs are no different. By selecting the right automation tools your devs can get instant feedback about the security posture of their new features. Some new security tools integrate directly with your dev tools and CI/CD pipelines. The best among these tools come with on-demand human help to answer your teams' AppSec related questions. One such tool is Cyber Chief and there might be others out there. This type of solution not only provides you the automation you need but also saves you from spending on expensive training courses.