Devin Partida writes about cyber security and technology. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com.
Developers working on apps may want to turn to automated release management to increase data security. Many people don’t fully understand the ins and outs of automated release management. The process is fairly complex, even for IT professionals. One of the best ways to figure out the functions is by trying them out as you develop a program.
What is the need for automated release management in DevOps?
With application development, creators have so many plates in the air at once that it can be complex to keep up with everything. With automated release management tools, developers gain end-to-end visibility through app development.
What if one feels as though they’re missing the big picture with app development and ensuring everything is secure? Automated release management could be the solution. Here are some ways it can increase data security.
1. Standardize security testing
Most developers use cloud computing at some point, which increases the attack surface and potential for cyber criminals to attack the app.
Using an automated release management system ensures that security testing remains consistent across updates. Avoid missing a glitch that hackers can take advantage of by using a standard set of rules. Once the app is secure, continue to ensure updates remain that way.
2. Avoid opening back doors
Bugs and errors can open back doors where hackers can enter a program and make changes. Data threats can come from cyber attacks but also accidental deletions and data loss. Within each software release, vulnerabilities can create potential issues.
Using automated release ensures the system and updates are as stable as possible. For example, one might automate the server and application configuration so the finished product works together rather than systems working separately.
3. Automate monitoring
Depending upon which risk management framework the developer chooses, they can enable continuous monitoring. By allowing some things to happen automatically with the application, creators ensure the app remains in good working order but also catches any problems.
An added bonus to continuous monitoring is the ability to ensure compliance while seeing security threats throughout the phases of the DevOps pipeline. Consider continuous monitoring as another IT employee on the team, working 24/7 and checking real-time data.
4. Keep up with coding updates
The most recent Cloud Security Alliance report found that 62% of companies use multiple cloud providers and multiple production platforms. Keeping up with all the different versions and phases of an app isn’t easy. To add to the frustration, coding standards constantly change and must be monitored as well.
Developers are so busy creating that they can’t possibly write all of the code from scratch. It’s common to use libraries or artificial intelligence to piece together code. Unfortunately, many flaws in open-source code remain unfixed over time.
It would take too much time for developers to check for every CRLF injection or information leakage. However, automation tracks the inserted code for you and reports back on any problems.
5. Triage threats
In the world of medicine, emergency rooms triage patients by putting the ones who are most at risk first. With automated release management, you can triage potential threats from cyber criminals automatically.
Handle the worst threats first so your system is vulnerable for the least amount of time and then work your way down the list. Automation fixes some issues for you and gives you steps to handle others.
Is automated release management right for your company?
Using tools such as automated release management can free up time for an IT team to handle more creative tasks. Tasks a human can’t possibly handle manually are finished in mere minutes with the help of software. Any companies not already using the tool should definitely consider it to ramp up security and save time.
