Application Security (AppSec) is the practice of detecting and mitigating vulnerabilities within applications across their entire lifecycle. It encompasses not only finding and fixing security issues but also a deep understanding of expected application behavior, associated threat models, and the risks tied to application components, configurations, and functionality.
Over time, cybersecurity has changed from concentrating only on perimeter defenses to prioritizing application security. This shift shows how new threats targeting applications call for sophisticated methods to reduce your attack surface.
Read on to learn more about common threats, the OWASP top ten vulnerabilities, and real-world examples of breaches. We’ll also discuss best practices for enhancing application security, tools, and techniques. Let’s get started.
The Secure Coding Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]
With curated insights and easy-to-follow code snippets, this 11-page cheat sheet simplifies complex security concepts, empowering every developer to build secure, reliable applications.
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DevSecOps: Integrating security with DevOps
One of the biggest trends in AppSec is the shift-left movement. “Shifting left” means putting secure coding practices into place at the very beginning of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Here’s how it looks at each phase of development:
| Development Phase | Strategies for shifting left |
|---|---|
| Design | Evaluate risks and incorporate security measures |
| Development | Follow secure coding standards; carry out exhaustive testing before deployment |
| Deployment and beyond | Continuously monitor applications; keep up with patches and updates |
At the end of the day, the transformation of DevOps into DevSecOps makes shifting left possible. With the DevSecOps framework, every team member shares responsibility for security. By encouraging constant monitoring, frequent testing, and quick vulnerability remediation, DevSecOps makes sure that your business has a culture where developers own risk and can be held accountable for security.
The role of OWASP in application security
The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a globally recognized nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in improving application security. Its most notable contribution, the OWASP Top Ten Web Application Security Risks, outlines the most significant web application security risks, offering guidance on mitigating these vulnerabilities to protect applications.
Key threats highlighted by OWASP and their impact include:]
Broken Access Control: Attackers exploit flaws in access control mechanisms to perform unauthorized actions, such as viewing, modifying, or deleting data. To mitigate this, enforce the least privilege principle, rigorously validate user roles, and regularly test access control policies. Tools like dynamic application security testing (DAST) can help identify these issues during testing.
Cryptographic Failures: Insufficient protection of sensitive data—such as plaintext passwords or weak encryption—can lead to breaches. Use strong, modern encryption algorithms, manage keys securely, and ensure data is encrypted during transit and at rest. Integrating cryptography checks into CI/CD pipelines can catch configuration flaws early.
Injection Attacks (e.g., SQL Injection): Attackers manipulate queries by injecting malicious code into input fields, exposing or altering sensitive data. Use parameterized queries and prepared statements to protect against injection attacks. Modern CI/CD pipelines can leverage SAST tools to detect vulnerabilities early in the development process.
Insecure Design: Applications with poor security design are vulnerable to attacks, regardless of implementation quality. Adopt secure design principles, conduct threat modeling, and ensure security considerations are embedded early in the design phase. Architectural reviews can highlight insecure patterns before development begins.
Security Misconfiguration: Incorrect or overly permissive settings—such as open cloud buckets or unnecessary features—create exploitable gaps. Regularly review and harden configurations, enforce secure defaults, and automate configuration audits. Tools like configuration scanners can provide continuous monitoring.
Vulnerable and Outdated Components: Outdated libraries or frameworks with known vulnerabilities provide an entry point for attackers. Use Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools to track dependencies, update components promptly, and remove unused libraries. Maintain a robust process for monitoring security advisories.
Identification and Authentication Failures: Weak authentication mechanisms, such as poorly implemented password policies, can lead to unauthorized access. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), secure session management, and enforce robust password requirements. Regular testing of authentication flows can identify weaknesses.
Software and Data Integrity Failures: Unverified updates or compromised software supply chains can introduce malicious code. Use code signing to verify software integrity, conduct dependency scans, and secure CI/CD pipelines to prevent tampering. Regularly audit critical components for unexpected changes.
Security Logging and Monitoring Failures: Insufficient logging and monitoring make detecting and responding to real-time attacks difficult. Implement comprehensive logging practices, store logs securely, and configure alerts for unusual activity. Automated log analysis tools can improve detection capabilities.
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF): Attackers trick servers into fetching malicious URLs, potentially exposing internal systems. Validate and sanitize all user-provided URLs, enforce allowlists for outgoing requests, and restrict network access to critical resources. Proxying all external requests through secure gateways can add an extra layer of defense.
Real-world examples and lessons learned
Major breaches
Equifax (2017): A missed patch in Apache Struts exposed 147 million people’s sensitive data, and Equifax was slammed with up to $700 million in fines.
Marriott (2018): Weak encryption and segmentation allowed attackers access to 500 million customer records, including passport numbers.
Capital One (2019): A misconfigured web application firewall (WAF) allowed a threat actor access to 106 million people’s PII, including bank account numbers, social security numbers, and credit scores.
SolarWinds (2020): Attackers compromised SolarWinds' build environment, leading to “one of the worst cyber-espionage campaigns ever suffered by the U.S.”
Log4j (2021): A vulnerability in Log4j posed a critical RCE threat, affecting a mind-boggling number of websites, apps, and services.
Best practices learned from security breaches
Major security breaches all point to the same crucial areas you should focus on strengthening:
Patching and updates: Timely upgrading is the only way to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploited. Establish robust patch management policies and maintain an up-to-date inventory of software to ensure no component is overlooked, and regularly test patches for breaking changes in a controlled environment before deployment.
Authentication and authorization: Implementing strong security configurations and access control measures can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and exploitation. This includes enforcing the principle of least privilege, conducting regular audits of access permissions, and using multi-factor authentication (MFA). Automated configuration management tools can help maintain security baselines across all environments.
Supply chain security: Vulnerabilities in third-party components can compromise your organization’s entire system. To keep yourself safe, adopt a comprehensive approach that includes due diligence in vetting vendors, continuous monitoring of third-party components, and integrating security practices into the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
Encryption and data protection: Effective data encryption and segmentation can prevent unauthorized access even if a breach occurs. Prioritize encrypting sensitive data both at rest and in transit, regularly update encryption protocols, and maintain separate data environments to limit exposure.
Cloud security and configuration management: With increasing reliance on cloud infrastructure, proper cloud security practices (such as secure configuration settings, regular reviews, and automated security posture management) are non-negotiable.
Vulnerability management: Comprehensive vulnerability management programs should include regular vulnerability scanning, tracking, and remediation. Swift identification and response to newly discovered vulnerabilities in open-source and third-party components are critical.
Incident response preparedness: Put rapid response plans in place to detect, contain, and mitigate security breaches. A great way to stay prepared is by conducting regular incident response drills and prioritizing regular training sessions for teams.
Secure coding practices: Stick to established coding guidelines to keep vulnerabilities from being introduced during development.
CI/CD Pipeline Security Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]
In this 13 page cheat sheet we'll cover best practices in the following areas of the CI/CD pipeline: Infrastructure security, code security, secrets management, access and authentication, monitoring and response
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Tools and techniques for application security
Aside from best practices, there are a range of tools and testing methods to support your application security efforts, including:
Static application security testing (SAST): This technique analyzes source code or binary code to identify vulnerabilities early in the development cycle.
Dynamic application security testing (DAST): Unlike SAST, DAST tests a running application without access to its source code. This black-box testing approach simulates real-world attacks.
Application Detection and Response (ADR): ADR monitors live applications in real-time, detecting threats and anomalies during runtime. It focuses on identifying and responding to active exploits or malicious activity in production, ensuring dynamic risk mitigation and continuous protection for applications in their operational state.
Software composition analysis (SCA): SCA tools focus on identifying vulnerabilities within third-party and open-source libraries used in applications. Given the widespread use of open-source components, SCA is crucial for managing risk.
Secrets scanning: Secrets scanning tools help developers identify and remove hardcoded secrets in the code or configuration files.
Implementing AppSec in DevOps processes with Wiz
As we’ve seen, a structured approach to application security involves aligning controls with a clear understanding of the risks they mitigate and their business impact. Key components of this approach include:
Risk assessment: Identifying the potential impact of vulnerabilities based on their likelihood and severity, enabling informed decision-making.
Threat Modeling: Analyzing how attackers might exploit application components to uncover risks early in the development lifecycle and proactively mitigate them.
Secure development policies: Establishing guidelines for coding, testing, and deployment to catch risks earlier and prevent them
Training and awareness: Equipping developers with the knowledge to identify and mitigate security risks
By adopting secure coding practices, using advanced security tools, integrating risk management in AppSec, and fostering a culture of shared responsibility through DevSecOps, you can protect your applications against evolving threats.
But you don’t have to implement AppSec on your own. Wiz offers a cutting-edge platform that puts all your AppSec efforts behind a single pane of glass. By spotting vulnerabilities early in the development cycle Wiz Code places a strong emphasis on starting your security journey at the code level. Wiz's extensive scanning capabilities and user-friendly interface make it easier to incorporate security into the development process.
Ready to see for yourself? Book a demo of Wiz today and see how easy it is to protect everything you build and run in the cloud.
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