Five App Security Analytics Tools for Your Organization

Dec 2, 2020

Knowing which app security analytics to track can help your developers catch more security threats before they can become a problem. We’ll help you choose the right analytics to prioritize to make sure your security team is spending their time wisely.

What Is AppSec Analytics?

Application security analytics, often abbreviated as AppSec analytics, is the practice of using data analysis techniques to gain insights into the security posture of applications. It involves monitoring, analyzing, and interpreting security data generated by applications to identify vulnerabilities, threats, and areas of improvement.

Why App Security Analytics Are Critical

One of the first steps in developing an application security plan is determining the right data analytics to track. This will help your team effectively manage their time and target the right solutions to see tangible improvements.

Allowing your security team to have access to real-time analytics is also key to improving efficiency and staying on top of potential issues. Your team should always be able to easily access cybersecurity analytics data regarding the type of threats being identified, how they are discovered, and how long it takes to remedy them.

Another thing to remember is that there are both direct and indirect analytics you can track. Direct analytics gauge the security of the program itself, such as the number of known threats, while indirect analytics look at practices, tools, and people. A blend of direct analytics and indirect analytics will paint the most accurate picture of how your AppSec tools work.

Application security is an incredibly dynamic field. The rapid pace of app development, coupled with the vast amount of inaccurate and inconsistent data, makes it hard to know if your information has become outdated. You might also struggle to make your case for additional support and finances for your security protocols.

With real-time analytics of what specific threats are undermining your application security, however, you’ll go the extra mile in protecting the business. You’ll also be doing your duty to help your team overcome revulsion to agility.

Five Application Security Analytics

Here is Kiuwan’s guide to the most important application security analytics to measure for your software.

1. Total Number of Application Threats

The exact number of threats is one of the most important app security analytics you can track. Your team needs to know not just the number of weaknesses present in an app, but how severe each threat is. The severity will depend on the effect a breach could have on the app (and the company at large) and how often it is likely to happen.

In addition to keeping an overall tally of threats, you should also keep track of the number of new threats that are discovered when the program is deployed. This will help your team better gauge the efficiency of the new code that is being written.

The best way to pinpoint your weaknesses is to use Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST). SAST tools single out potential threats in the source code, while DAST tools show you which weaknesses may lure attackers.

Leveraging the results of both SAST and DAST will enable you to draft a list of the weaknesses that pose the most significant threat to the program. Then your team can use these app security analytics to identify issues that require quick remediation.

2. Average Days to Remediation

The longer it takes to patch a vulnerability, the more time cybercriminals have to exploit it. CISOs and other security professionals need accurate, real-time data on how long it usually takes to patch loopholes in the application after they’re identified. This app security analytic can be broken down in terms of severity to see how long it takes to solve crucial issues compared to those in the lower priority categories. You should also be sure to look for inconsistencies in the resolution process to improve efficiency.

3. Types of Threats

Knowing the most prevalent vulnerabilities likely to impact your software is another key metric. For instance, having analytics showing that a DOS (Denial-of-service) attack is your most common risk allows you to better allocate teams and resources to improve resolution times. Some other common threats to track are SQL injection and cross-site scripting.

4. How Threats Are Identified

It helps to know which processes, practices, and tools are identifying weaknesses. Analytics showing the total number of threats found by QA (code analysis), SAST tools, penetration testing, and other detection techniques will give you a grasp of how effective your AppSec testing is and if any vulnerabilities need to be remedied.

5. Origin of Threats

Wouldn’t it be helpful to see the threat’s genesis, including the countries of origin and IP addresses? App security analytics relating to the origin of risks can help you view the testing holistically—from an attacker’s perspective. This data also allows the CISO to gauge whether certain IP sets and countries pose a real threat to their AppSec approach and if so, how to proactively remediate them.

Kiuwan AppSec Tools

Tracking, digesting, and displaying app security analytics requires the right tool—and Kiuwan ticks all the right boxes.

Our software displays all of your cybersecurity analytics in one place, so you can seamlessly track your app’s progress. Check vulnerabilities by type, language, and priority all in one place with a single click. Interactive visuals allow CISOs and other security professionals to quickly and easily dive deeper into issues of concern. 

The best part? Kiuwan Code Security integrates with leading DevOps tools and covers over 300 languages, making it the perfect tool to track your app security and quality.

Reach Out to Our Team

Want to know more about how Kiuwan can analyze your application and generate meaningful metrics? Get in touch with our team! We love to talk about security.

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