Security & Agile Development - How to Bridge the Gap in 2022

Agile methods have changed the way software is designed and developed. However, owing to the fact that Agile methods were developed ten years ago, several new IT issues, especially Information system security, are not included in the framework.

To avoid threats associated with information security, security needs to be integrated in Agile Software Development Methodologies.

Agile software development methodology, especially Scrum is the popular way to do software development for many companies. However, Agile methods include some information system security practices which are necessary to avoid threats and this article will talk about the importance of information system security in agile software development.

Our security methods have developed over time. The more improvements and modifications in its system, the more vulnerable it becomes. Because of this, it has led to various security incidents, particularly data breaches.

Though information safety is included in Agile Software Development Methodologies, small enterprises are not able to keep up with the adjustments linked to security. This is because they are already facing challenges as it is in particularly small businesses not to mention the difficulty in getting a good group of professional staff, frequent alterations linked to the marketplace environment, and so on.

What Is Agile Methodology in Security?

Agile methods have been developed and implemented all across the globe. The success factors that organizations enjoy, when they practice Agile, lie in streamlining processes and as a result, reducing the time to market and the cost of software development.

Agile software development encompasses a set of concepts that rely on iterative practices. The system can be an online or offline application developed through a series of iterations involving cross-functional teams.

Software development is now a complex process with a lot of departments involved. The complexities are more than just the technology and software aspects, but also the organization and management sides.

The testing/QA teams need to be an integral part of the development team instead of just units separately performing test work. Hence there arises the need to talk about software security issues and how they can be addressed by an integrated development process called Agile Software Development (ASD).

Agile SDLC for secure software systems 💪

Make Use of the Hacker in That Developer

Each development team member should be aware of the most common vulnerabilities in the systems they develop.

Consider the “Evil” user Interacting With the System at All Times

Identifying critical points and valuable assets of the software that an attacker may target is the responsibility of the security team. In this way, the team will be able to specify possible attack targets and advise the development team ahead of time.

Practice Tools and Platforms for Continues Integration

Tools for code analysis can be especially useful if you want to improve the security of your code since they can assist you in debugging and refactoring buggy code, improving the overall security of your system.

Adapt User Stories As Necessary With Each Iteration

Before releasing the system to the public, all iterations that are mandatory can be reviewed and compared with the system's general security. If vulnerabilities are found during the review process, the software must be adjusted to improve its reliability and security.

Embrace Innovation With Security

Agile doesn't come with built-in security by default. So the best way is to choose a tool that works with their development practices and customize it to serve the most common security concerns affecting their code. Innovating is a long-term plan and may not be viable for starters.

Develop A Security Culture From Top TO Bottom

You have only one decision to make - to plan your innovation or not. Do you know that security is a must-use feature for each team? I will tell you why and which tool is best for your efforts.

Popular Agile Testing Tools in 2022

1. Worksoft - Agile testing framework supports DevOps and Agile methodologies and comes with built-in practices and standards.
2. JunoOne - With JunoOne you can create the campaign and perform test analysis of software. Then you plan to test and run the tests. It solves the software testing issues and protects your data from breaches.
3. Zephyr - Zephyr is such an add-in that has been designed keeping in mind all the requirements and planning of a project. What makes this tool stand out from others is its intuitive nature, which makes the development process end product a delight.
4. TestRail - TestRail is an online tool that supports agile testing efforts ensuring Quality at each step in the software development life cycle (SDLC). TestRail is used by teams around the globe in various domains, such as software development and maintenance, healthcare, finance, and utilities.

How Do You Implement Secure Design in Agile Software Development?

The final phase of the life cycle of a product is when the maintenance stage starts. The product needs a backward view of continuous improvement in the form of patches and upgrades which is necessary to secure the job at hand. As it is not scheduled on any particular date, the maintenance work becomes an extra burden on top of all other stages.

1. You should add security acceptance criteria in user stories
2. It's the right move by Stakeholders to conduct various security tests during product review
3. Consider Development of proper code conventions for OWASP Proactive Controls
4. Use Agile Retrospectives

We all know that Agile methodologies have become a very effective approach in the software development arena. But, it may be true that security has not been well-created during the Agile adoption process.

Security is integral to software applications, and most especially with agile methodologies as they are designed to develop software faster and more cost-effectively. Every organization is interested in improving its IT capabilities including development, testing, delivery, and maintenance to lower software costs.

Future of Agile Software Development  📈

The interdisciplinary Agilist community has not provided a good answer to this dilemma yet. Even though the Agile manifesto states that ''Individuals and Interactions over processes and tools'', which indicates that security needs should be addressed in an Agile Project, it does not provide any suggestions regarding security needed to be taken care of.

In addition, the term ''Responding to change over following a plan'' implies that changes in stakeholders’ security requirements should be responded to in real-time during the project implementation. In case such changes are not accounted for then there can be potential risks.

Agile software development is a software development methodology that focuses on improving a product by iteratively (repetitively) integrating small pieces of work, or in this case, software features or even should be involved during full-stack development.

The principles guiding Agile methodologies are simplicity, collaboration, feedback, and encouragement. Though Agile began with a focus on smaller projects which was primarily aimed towards web projects with around 10-15 developers and a 6-8 month project life cycle, it grew over the years to encompass large complex projects with 50+ developers and 3-year long project life cycle.

The New & younger generation of software developers are failing to understand why security should be considered in the early stage. A part of it is because of the cultural difference, another of it is that they have not been rewarded in the past for doing so.

😊 Software development processes came into being to ensure that the developed software met user requirements. Agile processes are among the most widely used today, they are all based on iterative and incremental methods of software development.