Move over Traditional AppSec: Here Comes Application Security Posture Management
A new Rezilion guide examines the growing trend toward the use of Application Security Posture Management (APSM), which aims to make applications secure and resilient, in turn, significantly reducing business risk. The paper explores the business drivers for ASPM, how ASPM works, what ASPM tools are designed to do, and the benefits of using them.
One of the big pain points security teams have is a lack of visibility throughout the continuous development and deployment pipeline.
This is concerning because application portfolios are becoming more complex and constantly shifting, and not knowing what your assets are creates a big disadvantage when it comes to security posture. A relatively new kid on the block, application security posture management (ASPM), aims to change that by unlocking AppSec visibility.
The Nuts & Bolts of Application Security Posture Management
ASPM operates at the application layer, managing applications in both on-premise and cloud environments to detect and address their potential security risks. ASPM focuses on managing the security posture of applications throughout their lifecycle.
In addition to application visibility, ASPM tools can also provide risk visibility through automated vulnerability scans to prioritize remediation measures.
These tools are also designed to collect different types of information about an organization’s application portfolio that can be used to make more strategic vulnerability management and security decisions.
By mapping data flows among applications, ASPM can make it easier for teams to enforce least privilege access controls, thereby preventing data security risks.
Why Use ASPM Now
The growth of cloud computing and the popularity of low-code and no-code platforms have given employees greater autonomy to develop and deploy applications without IT oversight. Yet, security teams are still responsible for securing most, if not all corporate applications.
One of the issues DevSecOps teams struggle with is too much data from too many tools. This makes it more time-consuming to prioritize remediation and ensure security concerns are addressed.
Additionally, trying to consume the growing volume of data provided by application security tools can lead to errors. When this happens, it fuels the theory that security is less of a benefit and more of a barrier, Gartner notes in a recent research brief.
ASPM solves this challenge by ingesting information from multiple sources, correlating results, and automating triage, Gartner points out. It can help validate warnings, ensuring teams focus on tasks offering the greatest risk reduction.
ASPM also integrates and orchestrates application security tools and controls, which improves visibility and enables DevSecOps teams to measure and manage risk.
ASPM vs. Traditional Application Security
Traditional AppSec practices called for applications to be tested for security issues at various points throughout the SLDC using different tools that were often not integrated.
Couple this with the pace of application development and the growing number and complexity of vulnerabilities. It is simply not feasible to continue using traditional application security efforts, which can lead to unsatisfactory results that fail to effectively manage risk. It also creates confusion and frustration for stakeholders.
By contrast, ASPM constantly enforces AppSec policies and controls through automated monitoring and enforcement measures.
If you still need a compelling reason to deploy ASPM, benchmark your current application security posture, define the appropriate metrics, and take ASPM for a test run. You’ll see what it means to have a 360-degree holistic view of your entire asset inventory and the associated security risks and vulnerabilities.
About the author: Esther Shein is a longtime freelance tech and business writer and editor whose work has appeared in several publications, including CIO.com, TechRepublic, VentureBeat, ZDNet, TechTarget, The Boston Globe and Inc. She has also written thought leadership whitepapers, ebooks, case studies and marketing materials.
