WASC Compliance: Guarantee App Security

DevOps processes have incredibly hastened the app development lifecycle leading to an exponential rise of apps getting into the market. Unfortunately, cybersecurity threats have kept the pace with data breaches standing in the way of an otherwise ideal app market. DevSecOps have provided a lifeline for companies looking to weather this storm.

Along with the DevSecOps, companies can find appropriate guidelines and safeguards from different security standards in software development. These standards help companies maintain their reputations with secure software. WASC, designed for web application security, is one such standard.

So, what does WASC entail? How can you create WASC compliant software? How does it all integrate with your DevSecOps? Let’s find out.

WASC Overview

The Web Application Security Consortium (WASC) is the brain behind the WASC standard. This consortium works as a non-profit with the intent of developing security standards for World Wide Web applications. Industry practitioners, organizational representatives, and a group of experts join hands to provide open-source standards.

WASC has set out to offer extensive information on web application security issues. The members of this consortium discuss and publish well-researched articles on such matters. Software professionals use much of WASC’s educational material to rein on specific threats.

Besides the informative articles, WASC is in charge of a Web Hacking Incident Database (WHID). This database lets their security team keep tabs on any security-related incidents. The tool also keeps organizations abreast of web application security challenges enabling them to know what to look out for as they create their web-based programs.

Statistical analysis of such security incidents also provides insights into the most devastating threats. Along with a host of industry projects, WASC is at the heart of the regular exchange of ideas in a bid to maintain its active community status.

WASC classifies the top security threats as:

1. Authentication
2. Authorization
3. Client-side attacks
4. Command Execution
5. Information Disclosure
6. Logic Attacks

Ensure WASC Compliance

WASC compliance is increasingly essential for organizations looking to guarantee the security of their web apps. To achieve this compliance, firms need to test their software for vulnerabilities that hackers love to exploit.

Cloud-based security testing services are especially useful in efforts to achieve security compliance. From backdoors to malicious code and vulnerabilities, these services expertly reveal every point that needs your attention.

Some of the areas that meet the requirements of WASC compliance include:

• Risk assessment. For flawless apps, the testing services should scan binaries instead of source code. This requirement extends to any code that you buy or download – you don’t want third party code to compromise your legacy work.
• System and services acquisition. While access to source code is essential in application testing, testing providers that don’t require such access will simplify the acquisition process. You’ll have an easier time demonstrating WASC compliance.
• Audit and accountability. You’ll need periodic audit reports to boost client confidence in your apps. Submit audit applications to your preferred cloud-based security testing service and offer clients the accountability that they often desire.
• System and Communications Protection. Besides the vulnerability scans, WASC compliance will require a couple of specific security features. The right service will flag any app without such features enabling you to create secure apps. For your web app’s communication needs, you’d rather go for the right encryption levels instead of web-based communication.
• Certification, accreditation and security assessments. With different government benchmarks, you’ll also need a standard rating system to assure clients and auditors of your compliance practices.

WASC Compliance with SAST Integration

Regardless of the many standards in place, security breaches are still making headlines. Reason being that many companies perform penetration tests after creating their software. The best approach to dealing with most of the flaws is to use standards as part of your software development lifecycle (SDLC).

Static application security testing (SAST) will prove invaluable to your software development lifecycle. Here’s how you can integrate SAST in your DevSecOps Process.

• Application onboarding. The security analyst inspects your source code while the development team automates SAST tools in this step. Once you highlight new security issues, your team can resolve these vulnerabilities before proceeding with app development.
• Ruleset configuration, the next step, helps you identify vulnerabilities as you introduce new code eliminating common security weaknesses in the process.
• You’ll then run the client’s top 10 issues at an advanced stage of the DevSecOps process. The configuration review in this step includes the session management step, which is absent in the ruleset configuration step.
• The OWASP Top 10 Issues step lets you run customized rules for your web applications. It is at this stage that you’ll run denial of service, insecure direct object reference, malicious file execution, and weak encryption.
• The final stage of the integration process involves a comprehensive ruleset. Your developer may choose to combine the two previous steps or apply the divide and conquer approach. Head injection, open redirect, XML injection, LDAP injection, and expression language injection are all part of this step.

With the SAST integration, your software development team will be able to:

• Secure developer operations environment
• Guarantee success for your company
• Eliminate software vulnerability
• Guarantee the security of user data

Your company can find comprehensive application security tools from an appropriate application security platform. The code review tools help you boost application security from the design stage through to the assembly process. Your development team should not have a hard time meeting web application security standards like WASC with such tools.

As you work to achieve WASC Compliance for your apps, improve your DevSecOps practices with these steps:

• Automate all your security tests
• Test smartly
• Verify code dependencies
• Choose customized tools for your specific needs
• Conduct a detailed threat modeling assessment

In Conclusion

The integrity of your app security ultimately depends on how well you integrate your entire system. While at it ensure that you incorporate static application security testing in your DevSecOps process. This integration lets you point out and remove security vulnerabilities in good time.

Reliable tools such as Kiuwan assist you in creating a precise application security program resulting in WASC compliant apps. Ultimately, you’ll meet end-user demands and reduce the costs incurred while mitigating vulnerabilities in deployed applications. Contact us for more information.