6 Ways to Boost Developer Workflows with ASPM
Ensuring security takes precedence from the very start of a project is essential. This goal can only be attained by integrating security seamlessly into developer workflows. Picture spending hours crafting code, only to be bombarded with a slew of security alerts at the eleventh hour. Addressing these vulnerabilities could result in setbacks and the need for extensive rework for developers.
Organizations are increasingly incorporating security tools throughout the SDLC to ensure that no security issues slip through the cracks. As a result, developers often find themselves managing numerous individual tickets, each providing only partial context from various security scanning tools. Moreover, there tends to be a lack of effective communication between security and development teams, resulting in frustration and conflicts.
Implementing an Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) solution presents a more efficient approach to circumvent such issues within developers' workflows and seamlessly integrate security measures without any friction.
Here are 6 ways ASPM can improve developers’ workflows.
1. Seamless Integration with Ticketing Systems
Numerous scanning tools are capable of integrating with ticketing systems like Jira and ServiceNow. However, in such instances, the result often involves the creation of multiple tickets, each containing limited context. Occasionally, even false positives are generated. Consequently, developers are burdened with an excessive number of tickets and must invest time in sorting through or consolidating them.
In contrast, ASPM consolidates information from all security tools for the same issue and produces a single ticket with comprehensive details. Each ticket provides a summary of the issue along with all related findings from the scanning tools. This allows developers to easily view everything they need to address, with additional information available in the detailed description to guide their next steps. Additionally, many ASPM solutions include the ticket's status, scan type, and any SLA due dates alongside the findings. Reducing the volume of tickets while enhancing their contextual relevance minimizes distractions and enables developers to more effectively address security concerns and patch vulnerabilities.
Furthermore, ASPM solutions offer dynamic tickets, meaning that any changes made on the ASPM platform—such as altering the status or severity of a finding, updating metadata, or adding new findings—are automatically reflected in the corresponding Jira or ServiceNow ticket.
With all these features, developers don’t need to switch platforms and tools now and then to work on security issues.
2. Integration with Messaging and Email Systems
ASPM seamlessly integrates with messaging platforms such as Slack, MS Teams, and others. In the event of critical issues, ASPM solutions can be customized to send emails and messages to relevant stakeholders on the configured channels and email IDs. This ensures that both the security and development teams are automatically informed about any critical issues detected by security tools during scans.
Moreover, if developers require real-time updates regarding changes in Jira tickets, including status modifications and ticket creation, these can also be automated within the ASPM.
Developers can operate within their own environment, and the right ASPM solution can seamlessly integrate into their workflows.
3. Access to Knowledge Base
A few ASPM solutions provide access to training videos and articles within the knowledge base regarding vulnerabilities. This feature streamlines developers' understanding of vulnerabilities and expedites the fixing process. Furthermore, the training videos can seamlessly integrate into ticket descriptions for effortless accessibility.
4. Easy Collaboration and Communication
Effective collaboration relies on seamless communication and robust oversight mechanisms. ASPM enhances collaboration through structured request, proposal, and approval workflows within the ticketing system. For instance, developers can propose that a finding within a ticket is a false positive directly within Jira. This proposal then dynamically appears within the ASPM solution for security review and approval. Each team retains its preferred workflow while effectively collaborating in real-time.
ASPM enhances inter-team collaboration by establishing governance and guidelines for developers within the CI/CD pipeline. Automated remediation workflows prioritize and facilitate the resolution of critical true positives, thereby promoting efficient collaboration across teams.
5. Customizable Dashboard for Developers and Engineering Leaders
Developers juggle numerous tasks and responsibilities throughout their workday. Being bombarded with irrelevant information can hinder their productivity and focus. Customized dashboards in the ASPM platform address this challenge by providing actionable insights tailored to their specific workflows for engineering leaders or individual developers.
ASPM solutions remove clutter and present important information to developers, thereby facilitating swift access to critical data. This results in saving valuable time and effort for developers, enabling informed decision-making, and enhancing overall productivity.
6. Actionable Insights
Application Security Posture Management also offers Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and progress tracking. This empowers engineering leaders to not only understand their overall security posture but also pinpoint which teams are excelling and which require additional resources and support.
With this knowledge, they can effectively allocate resources, prioritize remediation efforts, and ensure consistent improvement across the organization's security posture. By leveraging actionable insights from ASPM, engineering leaders can foster a data-driven approach to application security, ultimately strengthening the organization's overall defense against cyber threats.
Improve Developer Workflows with ArmorCode
ArmorCode's Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) solution stands out as a comprehensive governance platform that seamlessly integrates into developer workflows, addressing the challenges they face in managing security vulnerabilities efficiently.
By consolidating findings, simplifying communication, automating the ticket creation process, and providing actionable insights, ArmorCode ensures developers spend less time managing tickets and more time crafting exceptional code.
Experience the difference with ArmorCode. Request a demo today and unlock a new era of developer-centric security.
