​​Application Security Services

The secure software development lifecycle (SDLC) includes the utilization of robust application security practices and tools at each development stage of your product. This proactive approach minimizes the number of vulnerabilities in released software by addressing the issues at their source. As a result, you can prevent the potential impact of the exploitation of undetected flaws, ensure your data is safe, and avoid costly post-release security fixes.

General security standards like ISO 27001 provide comprehensive controls for managing information security in the entire organization. Based on our experience as an application security company, these standards cannot cover the specific, detailed guidance needed to address application-level vulnerabilities or to support secure SDLC. On the other hand, application security frameworks, such as OWASP SAMM or ASVS, fill those gaps by offering actionable controls tailored for securing applications. Also, it provides businesses with recommendations on secure development, testing, and deployment.

OWASP SAMM (Software Assurance Maturity Model) is an application security framework that provides an effective approach for evaluating and improving security maturity throughout SDLC. As a part of our application security consulting practice, we utilize this framework to assess the current state of app security and create a roadmap to strengthen the all-out security posture for our clients. Our experts conduct OWASP SAMM-based audits to help organizations of all sizes not only identify security flaws but also build their own approach for management and enhancing the level of security over time.

Before starting an application security audit, it is important to designate stakeholders responsible for completing assessment checklists and participating in interviews with the application security company. Additionally, make sure all your teams are aware of the audit and are ready for evaluation of internal security practices. A reliable appsec consulting partner can guide you through the next preparation steps, including gathering documentation on system architecture, data flows, and all application components with APIs and third-party integrations. They will also help you compile previous security assessments, compliance reports, and relevant regulatory standards.

Key practices for achieving fast and impactful security improvements include:

• Early definition of security requirements to embed security into the application during the initial stages of the SDLC, ensuring these guidelines are followed throughout development.
• Regular security testing across the application lifecycle to verify adherence to security requirements, detect vulnerabilities and address weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. Additionally, this practice complements web and mobile security assessments and helps mitigate gaps caused by the lack of security practices in the early development stages.
• Threat Modeling, which involves identifying, analyzing, and mitigating potential security risks through a structured application risk assessment process, ensuring proactive threat prevention.

Also, it is essential to focus on building a strong security culture within your organization and fostering security champions through Education & Guidance initiatives. This way you can efficiently spread security awareness and expertise across teams in your organization.

Application security services like audit practice and penetration testing focus on different aspects of app security. The first one helps to get a broad overview of app security posture, reviewing policies, configurations, and compliance with standards to ensure a strong security foundation.

Penetration testing allows you to try out your existing defense through manual and automated methods. This process identifies breaches in the app logic, authorization, and authentication flows.  However, both practices are essential for creating robust security practices for your organization, and partnering with an application security testing company will help you to effectively implement and balance each of them.