The top concern among developers and DevOps teams is security within the development environment. Vulnerabilities can be openings for cybercriminals and hackers, creating serious issues for companies, clients, and development teams.
There is ongoing pressure for developers to ensure that software is not going to be the cause of a security breach or attack. And identifying vulnerabilities within applications and software quickly, and early on can make a serious difference.
Everything needs to be scanned to impede potential cyber threats, especially when Docker container files and images are shared. This makes considering Docker and a Docker registry, like from Jfrog essential.
Whether you are a developer, a DevOps team member, or company executive, understanding more about how to build better development security with Docker can prove important. Let’s take a deeper look at development security for your organization.
The Current Problems Companies Face When It Comes To Development Security
There are plenty of security problems companies face in the space of development security. For instance, accessibility issues and the potential software exposure. If access is not controlled, those who shouldn’t necessarily have access could unknowingly cause a security breach.
These types of risks and other security vulnerabilities can usher in unauthorized use, like in the case of SQL injection. This can expose databases to savvy cybercriminals. A SQL injection cyber attack can cause confidential company and/or client data to be stolen, held hostage, and deleted.
The most recent of cyber attacks was the Garmin hack. Hackers were able to get Garmin data and held it ransom for $10 million. Garmin reportedly paid the ransom to keep data from being lost or exposed. This makes SQL injection a top concern for companies large and small across the globe.
Code injection is another continuous security problem resulting in unidentified vulnerabilities within development. These types of cyber attacks are operational with much to do with how a software program executes. This is serious when it comes to building better development security, and it needs to be thwarted at the highest level.
Building Better Development Security With Docker
Docker is popular due to the development tools ability to classify image files in containers. But for Docker images, developers and operators need to really analyze potential vulnerabilities. Scanning images at the base image layer won’t cut it today.
Remember, cyber criminals are savvy and always looking for vulnerabilities within applications and software. There are singular layers in just one containerized Docker image with its own components. In order to find vulnerabilities, each layer needs to be scanned.
Each Docker registry, whether public or private, also needs to be scanned. When a vulnerability is identified, an impact analysis needs to be run to find larger issues within all the container’s layers. This goes for components in different container images as well.
Only when every layer, all versions, and all components are scanned and analyzed for vulnerabilities, can development security with Docker be achieved at the greatest level. The layer scan of containers and files is a must to keep development security a top priority within the development and deployment environment.
Development Security With Docker Is All About Awareness
Bugs and potential vulnerabilities is simply part of the development process, especially when working on several development projects at the same time. This can not be avoided. But staying aware and vigilant can decrease potential cyber attacks.
If issues are not found early on, the cost can be crippling for a company. If Garmin paid the $10 million ransom, it is pretty clear how bad things can get if hacked. In fact, if vulnerabilities are not identified by scanning on a scheduled basis, costs can be more than 100 times more than budgeted for a specific project.
How can you stay aware of cyber threats and keep development security a top priority? Continuous integration. Employing a continuous integration (CI) pipeline can help keep your development security intact long-term. Scanning is done in a repeated cycle, and it is automated, freeing up developers to continue working on projects at an efficient pace. And when vulnerabilities are found via the CI pipeline, swift actions can be taken to ensure security is in place.
Build Better Development Security For Your Company
Having security at the forefront of your development processes, whether using Docker or not, can prove profitable for companies. Especially within competitive industries. A cyber attack could dismantle all your company has worked for quickly. The above highlights how to build better development security. Is your company on the right track?