The Secure SDLC Dilemma
In today’s fast-paced development environments, the concept of a Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) is a cornerstone of building secure products. But for many organizations, implementing a secure SDLC feels like an unsolvable puzzle. Why? Because the foundation upon which secure SDLC processes are built—the SDLC itself—is often fractured, poorly documented, or simply not followed. This often leads to gaps in security controls coverage or over investment of security controls in other areas.
The Problem: A Broken Foundation
Security teams frequently encounter challenges when trying to integrate into engineering workflows. Here’s the core issue: many software teams don’t have a formalized SDLC. Even when an SDLC is defined, it’s often treated as a suggestion rather than a framework, leading to:
• Inconsistent Processes: Engineers bypass or make undocumented changes to SDLC workflows.
• Poor Documentation: Teams may lack clear guidelines or fail to update processes as they evolve.
• Disconnected Security Models: Security teams struggle to map controls to engineering workflows when those workflows are ad hoc or unclear.
This creates a vicious cycle. The quality of a secure SDLC depends on how well-documented and consistently followed the engineering team’s SDLC process is. Without this solid foundation, security programs struggle to deliver value, leading to friction between engineering and security teams.
The Solution: A Trigger-Based Approach to Product Security
To address this challenge, We propose a trigger-based approach to product security. Instead of relying solely on a rigid SDLC framework, this approach adapts to the reality of modern engineering workflows by focusing on events that occur during the development lifecycle.
The idea is simple: tie security controls to key triggers on the engineering side. By embedding security into the natural flow of development activities, you can ensure that security is effective and actionable—no matter how formalized or chaotic the SDLC process may be.
How It Works: Triggers and Controls
Here are some examples of how a trigger-based approach can transform your security efforts:
1. Employee Onboarding:
- Trigger: A new developer joins the team.
- Control: Automatically assign secure coding training and access reviews.
2. Code Writing:
- Trigger: Code is committed to a repository.
- Control: Run automated security controls like SAST scans, secrets detection, and linting for secure coding patterns.
3. Code Reviews:
- Trigger: A pull request is created.
- Control: Implement a checklist for secure code reviews and enforce policies for dependencies and vulnerabilities.
4. Third-Party Library Use:
- Trigger: A new dependency is added to the project.
- Control: Trigger a dependency scan for known vulnerabilities (e.g., SCA tools).
5. Infrastructure Changes:
- Trigger: A new cloud resource or environment is provisioned.
- Control: Automate infrastructure scans and configuration reviews.
6. Architectural Changes
- Trigger: Team is making changes to the design/architecture of the system
- Control: Kick off threat modeling process
By focusing on triggers, you align security efforts with engineering activities, reducing friction and ensuring security happens naturally as part of the development process.
Why It Works
1. Adapts to Reality:
- Security controls are implemented where they make sense—at critical engineering milestones.
2. Reduces Friction:
- Developers aren’t overwhelmed by rigid, process-heavy requirements. Instead, security happens in the background, guided by automated workflows.
3. Ensures Consistency:
- Trigger-based controls ensure that no key event is missed, even when SDLC processes are informal or inconsistently followed.
4. Demonstrates Value:
- Security becomes a contributor to the engineering process, rather than a blocker, by aligning with engineering goals and timelines.
Building the Future of Secure SDLC
Implementing a secure SDLC doesn’t have to feel like climbing an impossible mountain. By adopting a trigger-based approach, security teams can align with the natural flow of development and focus on creating measurable value.
This approach doesn’t require perfection—it requires alignment. And when security aligns with engineering, the results speak for themselves: reduced risk, improved collaboration, and faster delivery of secure products.
What’s your biggest challenge in implementing a secure SDLC? Let’s start the conversation.