PackageScanning:WhyIt'sImportantforApplicationSecurity
Packagescanningistheprocessofexaminingthesoftwarepackagesthatareusedinanapplicationtodetermineiftheyhaveanysecurityvulnerabilities.Thisisacrucialstepinthedevelopmentprocessbecauseithelpstoidentifypotentialsecurityweaknessesbeforetheycanbeexploitedbyattackers.Inthisarticle,we'lltakeacloserlookatpackagescanningandexplorethreekeyreasonswhyit'simportantforapplicationsecurity.
Reason#1:KeepUpwithSoftwareUpdates
Oneofthemostimportantreasonstoperformpackagescanningistokeepupwithsoftwareupdates.Newvulnerabilitiesarediscoveredallthetime,andsoftwarevendorsreleasepatchestofixthesevulnerabilitiesastheyarediscovered.However,ifyoudon'tregularlyscanyoursoftwarepackages,youmaynotbeawarethatpatchesareavailable.
Regularpackagescanningcanhelpyouidentifyvulnerabilitiesinsoftwarepackagesandensurethatthelatestpatchesareinstalled.Thiswillhelpyoustayontopofpotentialsecurityweaknessesandkeepyourapplicationsecure.
Reason#2:MitigateSecurityRisksEarlyOn
Anotherimportantbenefitofpackagescanningisthatitallowsyoutomitigatesecurityrisksearlyoninthedevelopmentprocess.Ifavulnerabilityisdiscoveredinasoftwarepackage,itcanbeaddressedbeforetheapplicationisreleasedtoproduction.Thisisfarpreferabletodiscoveringavulnerabilityaftertheapplicationisalreadyinuse,asfixingthevulnerabilitycandisruptbusinessoperationsanddamageyourreputation.
Byregularlyscanningyoursoftwarepackages,youcanstayaheadofpotentialsecurityrisksandensurethatyouarebuildingasecureapplicationfromthegroundup.
Reason#3:MeetComplianceRequirements
Finally,packagescanningcanhelpyoumeetcompliancerequirements.Manyregulationsandstandardsrequireorganizationstoregularlyscantheirsoftwarepackagesforvulnerabilities.Forexample,thePaymentCardIndustryDataSecurityStandard(PCIDSS)requiresregularvulnerabilityscanstobeconductedinordertomaintaincompliance.
Byregularlyscanningyoursoftwarepackages,youcanensurethatyouaremeetingcompliancerequirementsandavoidpotentialfinesandpenalties.
Inconclusion,packagescanningisanessentialstepintheapplicationdevelopmentprocess.Byregularlyexaminingyoursoftwarepackages,youcanstayontopofpotentialsecurityvulnerabilities,mitigaterisksearlyon,andmeetcompliancerequirements.Whetheryou'rebuildinganewapplicationormaintaininganexistingone,packagescanningshouldbeapartofyoursecuritystrategy.
