Trustwave SpiderLabs Uncovers Critical Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Exposing Manufacturers to Costly Attacks. Learn More

Trustwave SpiderLabs Uncovers Critical Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Exposing Manufacturers to Costly Attacks. Learn More

Services
Capture
Managed Detection & Response

Eradicate cyberthreats with world-class intel and expertise

twi-cloud-lock-color-svg
Managed Security Services

Expand your team’s capabilities and strengthen your security posture

twi-briefcase-color-svg
Consulting & Professional Services

Tap into our global team of tenured cybersecurity specialists

twi-dashboard-color-svg
Penetration Testing

Subscription- or project-based testing, delivered by global experts

twi-database-color-svg
Database Security

Get ahead of database risk, protect data and exceed compliance requirements

twi-email-color-svg
Email Security & Management

Catch email threats others miss with layered security & maximum control

twi-managed-portal-color
Co-Managed SOC (SIEM)

Eliminate alert fatigue, focus your SecOps team, stop threats fast, and reduce cyber risk

Solutions
BY TOPIC
Microsoft Exchange Server Attacks
Stay protected against emerging threats
Rapidly Secure New Environments
Security for rapid response situations
Securing the Cloud
Safely navigate and stay protected
Securing the IoT Landscape
Test, monitor and secure network objects
Why Trustwave
The Trustwave Approach
Awards and Accolades
Trustwave SpiderLabs Team
Trustwave Fusion Platform
SpiderLabs Fusion Center
Security Operations Centers
Partners
Technology Alliance Partners
Key alliances who align and support our ecosystem of security offerings
Trustwave PartnerOne Program
Join forces with Trustwave to protect against the most advance cybersecurity threats

4 Ways to Ensure the Next Application You Roll Out is Security Ready

One of the most fascinating and widely covered findings from our recently published 2014 Security Pressures Report is that four out of five IT professionals say they have been pressured to roll out IT projects, such as new applications, despite security concerns.

While eye-opening, the statistic isn't all that surprising. Thanks to a love affair with the latest bells and whistles and a race to market amid a competitive landscape, many organizations often thrust security to the backseat. According to the Cenzic (now Trustwave) Application Vulnerability Trends Report 2014, "Application developers often tell us they struggle with development timelines, and more of their compensation is tied to feature completion rather than security certification."

Adding insult to injury, many businesses still believe that adversaries won't hunt for them. But we know all too well that the common refrain of "It won't happen to me" is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. Considering the automated tools at their disposal, hackers don't consider any organization off-limits.

What can save a business from the cross-hairs of an attacker is becoming a less attractive target - and part of that means securing your applications. Here are four ways to beat back the pressure you may be under to move applications and other IT projects out the door before they are security ready:

 

1. Make security a boardroom issue

If the importance of data protection and risk reduction does not resonate in the boardroom and the corner offices, the culture of application development never will change. Instead of upper management viewing security as checkbox exercise, make them aware of how inviting applications are as targets and how they serve as the entry way to the company's most sensitive data.

 

2. Beef up security development training

This should be a prerequisite once a developer is hired and a regularly occurring practice. In fact, there are forward-thinking CISOs who fly pen testers around the world to developer sites to personally discuss vulnerabilities that have been discovered in the company's code base. Using real-life examples, as opposed to hypotheticals, resonates with staff.

 

3. Assess your risk

A risk assessment is an ideal way to evaluate and quantify your organization's vulnerability exposure level. Not only could it come in handy to prevent breaches, but it also can help induce support from executive management. Consider enlisting a third-party that can provide a critical and unbiased point-of-view.

 

4. Test 'em all

The fact is, no matter how well trained developers are, a vulnerable application likely will slip through the assembly line. Cenzic's report found that 96 percent of all apps it tested - whether they are cloud, mobile or web based - contain a vulnerability. That's why organizations must test throughout the build lifecycle, from development through production and launch. Testing can run the gamut across cloud, mobile and web properties - and range from automated and scalable testing for large volumes of apps to in-person penetration testing of your most critical assets to a hybrid approach.

Latest Trustwave Blogs

Unlock the Power of Your SIEM with Co-Managed SOC

Security information and event management (SIEM) systems play a pivotal role in cybersecurity: they offer a unified solution for gathering and assessing alerts from a plethora of security tools,...

Read More

Trustwave SpiderLabs: LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Most Common Malware Used to Attack the Manufacturing Sector

As the manufacturing sector continues its digital transformation, Operational Technology (OT), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) are becoming...

Read More

Trustwave’s Observations on the Recent Cyberattack on Aliquippa Water Treatment Plant

The attack last week on the Municipal Water Authority in Aliquippa, Penn., that gave threat actors access to a portion of the facility’s pumping equipment has spurred the Cybersecurity &...

Read More