Application security is not a single piece of technology but it is a series of best practices and features. All of them are added to the software of an organization to prevent and remediate threats from cyber-attacks and breaches. In an organization, there are various forms of application security modules in use. A few of the examples are anti-virus, data encryption and firewalls to prevent unauthorized users from entering the system. If an organization is planning to predict specific data sets with the resource, they can establish their unique application security policies.
Application security takes place in various stages, though the best phases tend to occur in the application development phase. But a business may be able to leverage different tools and services post development too. In the overall context, there are hundreds of security tools available to a business, and each of them is expected to serve unique purposes. A few of them watch out for coding threats, others solidify coding changes and a few of them will establish data encryption. Businesses may be able to choose specialized applications for their needs.
The advantages of application security
Businesses are reliant on applications to power everything and keeping them secure is non-negotiable. Some of the benefits of investing in application security are as follows
- Reduction of risk from internal and third parties- Once you eliminate as many vulnerabilities as possible, you enhance the potential to ward off attacks.
- Maintenance of brand image- An attack puts the business in the limelight and this is not wanted publicity
- Increased confidence and trust from the customers- once you demonstrate the applications are safe and secure, you can enhance customer confidence. This could breed loyalty and contribute to word of mouth in a major way.
- Issues are identified during the development phase- the moment you have the right Appsec solution you can identify common vector risks during development. It helps you to formulate a resolution strategy for them before you release an application into production.
- The potential risks are identified at an early stage- Most of the application security solutions are identified to secure vulnerabilities. It is known to alter the administrators about the existence of potential issues. This reduces the risk of vulnerabilities before an attacker can cash in on them.
- Reduced disruption to operations- once you can identify potential security issues and resolve them before they lead to a full-blown attack or data loss. Hence you will be able to prevent unwanted disruption of operations.
The reasons why application security has turned out to be important
If an organization handles customer data this is virtually what every business may end up doing. You must go on to implement application security measures and manage app vulnerabilities since data works out to be a prized asset for attackers. Be it customer data, proprietary product secrets or employee information, the attackers can use it for their gain.
The applications in the modern world are cloud-based. So it is evident that the vulnerabilities are expected to increase since data is being transmitted over various networks and connection to remote servers is established. Though network security is vital, it is also necessary that you go on to protect each application individually. Hackers are taking up applications lately but mobile application security is expected to provide the best of protection.
Application security showcases a positive approach when it comes to security rather than a reactive app. It is necessary that you protect the app from the start and even when it happens you should be able to solve the problem instantly. Once you adopt a proactive approach to security it is expected to provide you with a definite edge when the question of migration arises. You will be able to cope with a problem before it affects your operations or even the customers.
At the same time, the consequences of a security breach can be severe and costly. Security breaches turn out to be common and it may not work out to be an issue till an attack emerges. A few of the modern attacks may shut down a business temporarily or even it is for good. It is a wrong move of not securing your applications as the attackers may end up causing a lot of damage to your application.
When customers use you you’re an assurance has to be provided that you intend to keep the app safe and secure. On the other hand, if you do not secure your mobile app there is a possibility that it may lead to loss of information since customers could have their identities stolen. Their bank account may be hacked or be it sensitive information about their health or finances could be published and so on.
If you do not have the right application security program in place then your organization is expected to encounter serious problems. It also means that you are putting the customers and the data at risk.
Enabling application security
There is no denying the fact that the essence of the security of an application starts with the code. It is also known as security by design the approach is crucial to get things right. Any vulnerabilities on the application part could emerge with a series of design flaws. What this means is that the application security needs to be formulated into the design process.
A security-by-design approach indicates that your applications start off with a well-designed clean structure. Other than this there are a series of application security measures that you need to keep in mind when it comes to fine-tuning your strategy. For example, you need to treat your cloud architecture be it public or private as secure.
A crucial but vital strategy is the automation of the integration and development process. If you have gone on to complete the process earlier you would need them to do for the next step of applications. Merely establishing security measures may not suffice as you need to constantly update and check them. This ensures that their working condition is optimum.
admin