Original Post: Building an AppSec Program: Part 1 of a 4-Part Series on Application Security | by Matthew Keeley | Jun, 2024
The content provides a comprehensive guide on building and managing an effective Application Security (AppSec) program. The author, experienced in cybersecurity, introduces a 4-part blog series focused on application security. Key points include:
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Importance of AppSec: Ensuring applications are secure against hackers through secure coding practices, data protection, and compliance with regulatory standards.
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Building an AppSec Team: Depending on company size, a small general security team might suffice for smaller companies, while larger companies (500+ employees) should have dedicated AppSec teams to prevent vulnerabilities from hitting production, save costs, and avoid breaches.
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Team Composition:
- Leadership: AppSec Manager and Program Manager to steer the team and ensure cross-department collaboration.
- Product Security Engineers: Handling security reviews, pentests, and essential security implementations.
- Software Security Engineers: Enhancing application security through coding, tool development, and automation.
- Vulnerability and Risk Management Analysts: Managing centralized vulnerability logs and generating performance reports.
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Key Roles and Responsibilities: Creating a balanced team structure to manage and enhance security measures within the organization.
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Goals, Metrics, and KPIs: Setting and tracking clear goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like the number of vulnerabilities detected, time to remediate, and coverage of security scans.
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Setting SMART Goals: Establishing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals to maintain focus and motivation.
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Team Positioning: Best practice is to have the AppSec team report directly to a CISO/CTO for better authority and visibility.
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Budget Allocation and Prioritization: Advises an 80/10/10 split on tools, training, and team activities respectively.
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Balancing Security and Innovation: Emphasizes that development should not be hindered by security protocols. Security should be integrated early and seamlessly in the development process to support innovation.
- Conclusion: AppSec is an ongoing process aimed at creating a security culture that scales with the company and supports innovation.
The detailed article aims to assist readers in establishing a robust AppSec framework within their organizations, ensuring data protection and minimizing risks, while fostering a cooperative environment for development and security.
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