Application security (AppSec) is important to all industries, and it’s critical in the public sector, which encompasses government agencies and their suppliers.
Increasingly, public sector software applications, websites, and supply chains are at risk of cyber attacks, data breaches, cyber espionage, hacks, and more. To counteract these persistent threats, government agencies and contractors need AppSec tools to improve software quality—including security and safety—while achieving compliance, increasing productivity, and minimizing costs and time to market.
Improve software quality
Software quality includes security, reliability, and safety.
Security and reliability
Unpatched vulnerabilities and unmitigated weaknesses in application code are easy to exploit. The effort and risks required to exploit software are low and the rewards are high. 90% of security incidents result from exploits against defects in software.
Creating an asymmetric advantage by detecting and remediating vulnerabilities and weaknesses in applications has a material impact on deterring adversaries and preventing successful attacks.
- Protect data and privacy and avoid data leakage on websites, address and mitigate unresolved software weaknesses and vulnerabilities (technical debt), and meet regulatory standards and guidelines.
- Identify open source components including where open source code comes from, when it was updated, and what is known about the community that supports it. The U.S. federal government requires virtually all its branches and departments to track and secure open source code.
- Protect mission-critical system investments by ensuring that autonomous ground, air, and sea systems, as well as the dynamic, end-to-end, network-centric warfare ecosystem (network of networks), have highly reliable and secure application software.
Safety
In today’s world of cyber attacks, government agencies and contractors must demonstrate that a system is secure and reliable before claiming that it’s safe. Safety is critical for commercial aviation, military aircraft, spacecraft, weapons systems, and medical devices.
- Protect people and systems such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices that, if compromised via exploitation of the software that enables and controls them, could result in physical harm or death.
- Improve transparency by using software composition analysis to understand what’s in open source code and providing a software Bill of Materials (BOM or SBOM).
Achieve compliance
Meet government regulatory guidance and compliance goals associated with security, reliability, data protection, privacy, and safety by finding and mitigating weaknesses and vulnerabilities. AppSec tools can provide detailed reports listing the specific rules and categories of each standard that the tools address.
Increase productivity and efficiency
Finding defects faster frees up developers’ time.
- Automate all DevOps processes with quality and security checkers under the hood. Automation increases productivity, efficiency, and scalability, and enables teams to complete more programs and projects in the same amount of time—it’s like bringing a spell checker to developers.
- Speed time to market by reducing the time it takes to test each new release by at least four to six hours per risk.
- Achieve a long-term competitive advantage by fielding next-generation systems and turning derivatives and future generations faster.
Minimize costs and realize a quick ROI
A direct result of increasing productivity and efficiency is cost avoidance and a quick return on investment (ROI).
According to “The Cost of Poor Software Quality in the U.S.: A 2022 Report,” vulnerabilities often stem from simple software coding errors. Typically, there are an average of 25 errors per 1,000 lines of code (NIST 2016). Reducing software vulnerabilities and weaknesses ultimately results in a quick ROI and long-term cost savings.
- Save dollars per line of code as well as time by developing code more cost-effectively.
- Prevent costly, high-profile breaches by lowering future risk exposure attributable to exploitable software.
- Reduce labor hours by mitigating costly post-deployment malfunctions.
For example, a software efficiency pilot project commissioned by a defense contractor measured time saved in root cause analysis, defect identification, recoding, and retest. The result was a savings of more than US$1M and a team efficiency gain of ~20%.
Partner with a leader that understands the public sector
Recognized by independent analysts including Gartner® and Forrester® as a leader in AppSec testing, Synopsys is a global company and the largest solution provider in the AppSec testing industry, and we are committed to investing in research and development.
The Synopsys team has military and other public sector experience, and Synopsys public sector customers include the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force; all top federal and defense contractors; civilian agencies; and the intelligence community.
Synopsys also supports cross-sector-enabling technologies such as IoT for embedded and industrial controls, the cloud and containers, and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as critical infrastructure sectors including:
- Telecommunications
- Information technology (IT)
- Smart cities
The Synopsys software integrity platform includes a complete suite of DevSecOps tools for static analysis, software composition analysis, dynamic analysis, and eLearning.
Build Compliance, Quality, and Security into Software with Speed and Efficiency
Static analysis
Find and fix security weaknesses and quality issues in code as it is being developed using Coverity® static application security testing (SAST).
- Highest accuracy level and lowest false-positive rate
- Broadest, most complete coverage of security and quality standards for the public sector
- Best language coverage and analysis
- Fully operational in a SCIF, on-premises, or air-gap private cloud
- Automated workflows to prioritize and manage highest-risk issues
Software composition analysis
Detect and manage open source vulnerabilities in development and production using Black Duck® software composition analysis (SCA).
- Complete multifactor open source discovery
- Exclusive, enhanced vulnerability data—delivered faster than the NVD—with Black Duck Security Advisories
- Broadest, deepest license compliance and language requirements coverage
- Integrated binary analysis for highly sensitive source code
- BOM that enables fast response to threat alerts
Interactive analysis
Automate security testing on actively running web applications using Seeker® interactive application security testing (IAST).
- Unique, real-time, prioritized, policy-driven verification engine and low false-positive rates
- Sensitive data tracking and support for CAPEC, CWE, and CVE
- Deep analysis with integrations back to static analysis for results
- Integrated eLearning add-on
- Extensive checkers and language coverage
Fuzz testing
Test common APIs and protocols on actively running applications for weaknesses and vulnerabilities using Defensics® fuzz testing.
- Unique SafeGuard monitoring feature that first detected Heartbleed
- Core cellular and network communication testing including Bluetooth, wireless, and 5G
- Out-of-the-box functionalities with the most prebuilt test suites
- Only fuzz testing application with an SDK
- Only commercial grade fuzzer with a built-in instrumentation framework
Dynamic analysis
Identify defects and flaws in web applications quickly and easily using WhiteHat Dynamic.
- Broad coverage for web application weaknesses including OWASP Top 10 web application security risks
- Patent-pending login recorder
- Proper JavaScript scanning
- Scanning for any environment including SaaS and on-premises
- Highest scores on open-source benchmarks
Security training
Access interactive courseware designed to help developers learn as they code and implement secure coding best practices using Synopsys eLearning.
- Context-sensitive training linked to our security tools
- Tailored training by role and objective, and broad coverage of software security concepts
- Real-world case studies and relevant, focused lessons based on real security issues
- Short, targeted, on-demand lessons and flexible implementation
- Tools to motivate and engage learners and provide feedback
Let us help you navigate the complex public sector compliance landscape
Many Synopsys employees serve or have served as subject matter experts for committees, boards, working groups, programs, and projects related to AppSec standards, policies, and regulatory guidelines.
Synopsys DevSecOps tools can help federal agencies and government contractors comply with laws, regulatory guidance, policies, and standards related to AppSec, software quality, data protection, and privacy. Avoid exploits by finding and fixing weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and get detailed reports listing the specific rules and categories of each standard that the tools address.
Learn how to buy AppSec tools for the public sector
Federal agencies and government contractors can acquire Synopsys tools directly from Synopsys or on U.S. General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule Information Technology (GSA MAS IT previously known as IT Schedule 70) through a U.S. government supplier, which can help speed the procurement process.
Connect with a Synopsys public sector software security and quality expert to get a software demo, free trial, or quote.
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