Implementing Automated Secrets Detection for Application Security

Implementing Automated Secrets Detection for Application Security

Jan 1, 2023
gitguardian

Dev & Ops teams from large organizations use thousands of secrets like API keys and other credentials in order to interconnect the building blocks of their applications. As a result, they now have access to more sensitive information than companies can keep track of. The risk is that these secrets are now spreading everywhere.

In this white paper, we look at the implications of secret sprawl, and present solutions for Application Security to further secure the SDLC by implementing automated secrets detection in their DevOps pipeline.

What you will learn in this white paper

Understanding the benefits of mitigating secrets sprawl

  • What are the threats associated with secrets sprawl?
  • A focus on secrets in source code: why are they so bad?

Challenges associated with secrets sprawl

  1. The git history makes it more complicated than first thought
  2. Enforcing good security practices at the organization level is hard
  3. Homegrown tools and scripts are hard to build, maintain and keep up-to-date

How to implement automated secrets detection

  • Where in the SDLC to implement automated secrets detection?
  • Why is it hard to detect secrets?
  • Remediating exposed secrets