Background
A product company utilizing agile methodology was grappling with the challenge of ensuring robust security while managing frequent sprint release cycles. The company managed their sprint stories as part of a ticketing system. The company’s commitment to both speed and security led them to engage Blueinfy to ensure security without compromising deployment timelines. The goal was to integrate security seamlessly into their agile development process.
Challenge
The company’s agile development model involved rapid, iterative releases, which posed a challenge for maintaining comprehensive security assessments. The primary need was to align security testing with their fast-paced development cycle without impeding the release schedule.
Solution
Blueinfy developed a strategic security approach tailored to the company’s agile workflow, leveraging agile penetration testing principles:
Initial Comprehensive Penetration Test
To establish a security baseline and identify pre-existing vulnerabilities before the agile release cycles commenced, Blueinfy conducted an in-depth penetration test to assess the application’s security posture comprehensively. This initial assessment provided a detailed report outlining vulnerabilities, their potential impacts, and remediation recommendations.
Ongoing Agile Penetration Testing
To continuously assess the security implications of changes in each agile release cycle. The company shared an export from their ticketing system in excel format with Blueinfy, detailing use cases, changes, and user stories associated with each release. Blueinfy team, having complete knowledge of the application and security knowledge, identified the changes which can potentially have a security impact. Blueinfy team performed targeted penetration tests focused on the specific changes highlighted. This approach, aligned with agile testing practices, allowed for rapid assessments of security impacts without disrupting the development cycle. Blueinfy integrated into the company’s agile workflow, providing quick feedback on vulnerabilities introduced by new changes. This iterative process ensured that security assessments were aligned with the pace of development.
Enhanced Reporting and Management Tracking
To enable effective tracking and management of security performance, Blueinfy delivered detailed reports on vulnerabilities, trends, and the status of issues, which were updated regularly to reflect the latest changes. A security dashboard was developed, offering management a clear, real-time view of the application’s security status, including trends and actionable insights. As an example, following graph was provided: -
The iterative nature of testing allowed for continuous improvement and adaptation of security practices in response to evolving threats and development changes.
Benefits
- Security assessments were integrated into the agile development process, allowing for rapid and efficient identification of vulnerabilities without slowing down release cycles.
- Detailed and timely reports enabled management to track security performance, prioritize remediation efforts, and make informed decisions.
- The targeted approach ensured that each release was evaluated for security impacts in the context of recent changes, aligning with agile principles and enhancing overall security posture.
- Blueinfy’s agile penetration testing approach fostered close collaboration between security experts and development teams, facilitating a proactive and adaptive security strategy.
Key Differences
Conclusion
By leveraging Blueinfy’s agile penetration testing expertise, the company successfully balanced the need for rapid release cycles with robust security measures. This approach not only streamlined their security assessments but also ensured that security remained a key focus throughout their agile development process, enhancing both speed and security in their product releases.
Article by Hemil Shah