Wehann Kritzinger, cyber security software specialist, iOCO South Africa.
Let’s kick off the obvious question: what is software composition analysis (SCA)? Gartner defines SCA as a technology that analyses applications and related artifacts (containers, registries, etc) to detect open-source and third-party software components known to have security and functional vulnerabilities and/or are out-of-date for security patches, or ones that pose licensing risks.
SCA products and services help ensure the enterprise software supply chain includes only secure components and, therefore, supports secure application development and assembly.
PwC broadens this definition to note the world runs on open source software (OSS) − from consumer electronics, household appliances and medical technology, to automobiles and production lines, to enterprise IT and mobile services.
PwC notes that emerging technologies such as cloud computing, internet of things, blockchain, artificial intelligence and robot process automation are massively built on OSS.
It goes go on to add that companies can only keep pace with the progressive digitalisation of products and services and the increasing importance of disruptive technologies with effective and efficient OSS management.
The same article emphasises an efficient open-source management framework, as well as the use of appropriate toolchains, such as SCA and software asset management. Notably, PwC says that among other things, these factors influence the OSS maturity level of a company and position it in competition.
Let’s examine the business aspect of SCA. According to Forbes, SCA is one of the sectors that has seen the most growth, in terms of investment, with technology that identifies, tracks and alerts on open-source vulnerabilities and licences.
Security-driven development is not about slowing down; it’s about making it better, faster and safer.
Forbes reports these are signs of a sector that is ready to make the shift from a niche product to mainstream must-have for all companies writing code.
The fact of the matter is that today in the fast-paced world of software development lifecycles and development, security is more than often overlooked or seen as a roadblock − a necessary evil slowing down development teams, but this view is becoming increasingly outdated.
Modern SCA tools ensure this is no longer a productivity roadblock; these tools are enablers for smarter, faster development.
Let’s examine whether security and speed can co-exist.
The myth: Security tools hurt developer productivity
Developers today worry about integrating security checks into their workflows, fearing that it will bog down their work, create endless alerts, or force tedious rework later in the development cycle.
This concern was valid in the past due to early tools being clunky, slow and disconnected from developers’ realities.
Today’s SCA solutions are developer-focused with the goal of unobtrusive integration with existing tools and workflows, so security is an add-on that’s native and not intrusive.
SCA built for developer speed and efficiency
SCA tools are designed to accompany developers, as opposed to disturbing workflows; they unobtrusively plug in security validations as a normal part of development through the following:
Command-line simplicity: Developers can run scans directly in their terminals alongside their coding tasks, getting quick, actionable insight without slowing down.
Integrated development experience: Modern SCA tools plug directly into popular integrated development environments, providing ‘in the moment’ detection and recommending fixes, right where developers write code.
Meeting developers at their desks: SCA solutions allow security problems to be addressed early – before upsetting creativity, pace and focus.
Early detection of problems: Time and cost saving
The loose dependencies are easily detected and addressed at the beginning of the development stage, which is far more cost-effective and time-saving than when it is deployment time.
Early detection also prevents technical debt, which allows teams to devote more time to coding new features rather than frantically patching over later.
How SCA fuels real ‘shift-left’ approach
The ‘shift-left’ mindset encourages shifting security left in the software development phase. Modern SCA tools are the foundation of this practice: they natively embed into coding, testing and CI/CD phases so that security is no add-on but integral to each build.
By providing developers with the ability to detect and fix defects early-on in their own environments, SCA tools turn security from bottlenecks into a competitive-edge.
In conclusion, security-driven development is not about slowing down; it’s about making it better, faster and safer.
With modern SCA tools, developers no longer have to choose between productivity and protection; they can have both − and deliver software that stands strong in today’s threat landscape.
