As an industry, we have failed. Miserably. Cyber security professionals have implemented a broken methodology and graduated from failing to properly identify the problem to failing to present an effective solution. The network security methodology of: 1. Find Vulnerabilities, and then 2. Apply Security Patch, simply does not work for the custom web application environment. This statement may seem obvious, but it’s exactly what the industry has tried to do.
FYRM Associates is proud to announce our new AppTrust offering that enables organizations to produce secure applications in Agile environments, in a cost-cutting manner. The typical, flawed approach to application security is based on the network security model of “when we find a vulnerability, we patch it.” This forces your organization into a never-ending game of catch-up with attackers that is nothing more than a costly and time-consuming strategic failure.
Of the many ideas floating around the cyber security industry lately, there is one often overlooked but very effective approach: spying. Too often security personnel will look at developers as improperly educated code jocks, akin to Hollywood’s portrayal of “hackers” in the 1990s. Similarly, developers see the security analyst as an idealistic zealot with no concept of how things are in the “real world.” So the goal is to bridge the gap between the security and development groups. That bridge is a trusted developer that has a technical understanding of application security issues.
