Embedded Technology Supplement
Shift-Left Security in embedded software development– what it is and why it matters
By Steve Howard, field engineering manager, static analysis tools, Perforce
S
hift-Left Security represents a significant step forward in improving software resilience and reducing the risk of cyberattacks on embedded
products and systems. It also reflects a growing realisation and acceptance that security has to be a priority in software development now — as embedded systems are getting more connected, more complex and more a part of our daily lives — rather than something left to later stages in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). However, with many industry terms around, it helps to understand it within the context of others with which people may be familiar,
28 July/August 2023
including the broader, longer-established Shift- Left movement and DevOps. Shift-Left may have been around for some years, but it has increasingly gained momentum more recently, and understandably so, given its potential benefits. By carrying out tasks as early as possible in the SDLC, the costs, time, and effort involved in rework later on are mitigated, and development teams can work efficiently at speed.
The wider Shift-Left and DevOps movements
Shift-Left is already familiar to many teams as part of Continuous Integration (CI), which
Components in Electronics
encourages changes to be incorporated and checked as early as possible to avoid conflict and problems downstream. CI also makes it easier to back out a change causing problems, preventing other work and other changes from being held up. CI fits into the wider DevOps movement, facilitating improved collaboration and control across both development and operations teams while supporting project velocity. Then we also have DevSecOps, which, as its name suggests, is simply an extension of DevOps, with greater emphasis on security practices within software development and process, instead of being performed later in the SDLC, as was traditionally the case.
So, Shift-Left Security is a logical next step, but it is far more than yet another industry buzzphrase or marketing hype. Rather, Shift-Left Security reflects the increasingly widespread acknowledgement that — since so many embedded software cyberattacks originate from vulnerabilities created during development — improving security at this stage has become non- negotiable. Also, Shift-Left Security applies to every phase of the SDLC and is not just about embedded developers taking on more responsibility for preventing vulnerabilities.
By putting the spotlight on security so early in development, Shift-Left Security
www.cieonline.co.uk.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66
