Gain Control Of Your Risks In Outsourcing Software Development

August 30, 2024

In today's dynamic business landscape, outsourcing software development has become commonplace, offering numerous benefits such as cost savings and access to specialized expertise. However, it also introduces a myriad of security risks that can jeopardize the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data, expose organizations to cyber threats, and result in significant financial losses. To mitigate these risks and ensure the security and quality of outsourced software, organizations need a robust and comprehensive product security solution. Enter Start Left®'s cutting-edge platform, specifically designed to address the unique challenges of product security in software/SaaS businesses operating in DevOps environments and building for the cloud. Let's delve into how Start Left®'s platform tackles the key security risks associated with outsourcing software development, providing organizations with the confidence and assurance they need to succeed in today's digital landscape.


1. No Activity Detected in Product In Development: Start Left®'s platform includes advanced monitoring capabilities to detect instances where no source control or work item activity has been detected in the last sprint cycles for a product. This lack of activity may indicate various risks such as stalled progress, shifted priorities, or constrained resources, ultimately impacting deadlines and revenue/savings potential.


2. Lack of Security Expertise: Start Left®'s platform provides access to a team of security experts and resources, offering guidance and support to outsourced teams in implementing robust security measures throughout the software development lifecycle.


3. Data Breaches and Leakage: With Start Left®'s Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platform, organizations can enforce strict data protection policies, monitor data access and usage, and implement encryption mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information shared with third-party developers.


4. Unauthorized Access to Code Repositories and Code/IP Protection: Start Left®'s ASPM platform enables granular access controls and permissions management, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to code repositories. Additionally, it provides robust features for managing code and intellectual property (IP), mitigating risks associated with unauthorized access and disputes over code ownership.


5. Dependency on Third-Party Tools and Supply Chain Attacks: Start Left®'s platform includes robust security assessments and continuous monitoring of third-party tools and libraries used in software development, identifying and addressing vulnerabilities to mitigate security risks, including supply chain attacks.


6. Inadequate Access Controls and Exposure of Credentials and Secrets: Start Left®'s ASPM platform provides centralized access controls and permissions management, allowing organizations to enforce least privilege principles and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and exposure of credentials and secrets.


7. Insufficient Security Testing and Accumulation of Security Debt: Start Left®'s ASPM platform incorporates robust security testing features, including static and dynamic analysis, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning, to prevent the accumulation of security debt and costly rework once vulnerabilities are deployed into production environments or to the cloud.


8. Prolonged Vulnerability Exposure: With automated vulnerability management and remediation features, Start Left®'s platform helps organizations identify and address vulnerabilities promptly, reducing the exposure to potential threats in outsourced software.


9. Economic Impact of Poor Software Quality and Technical Debt: Start Left®'s platform addresses the economic impact of poor software quality and technical debt by integrating security and quality measures into the software development process, minimizing the need for rework, rearchitecting, and reengineering, and ensuring a higher return on investment.


In summary, Start Left®'s groundbreaking platform for product security offers a holistic solution to mitigate the inherent risks of outsourcing software development. By providing advanced monitoring, robust access control threat detection, comprehensive security testing, and automated vulnerability management, Start Left® empowers organizations to safeguard their assets, protect sensitive data, and uphold the integrity of their software products. From detecting inactivity in development cycles to addressing technical debt and preventing costly security breaches, Start Left®'s platform equips organizations with the tools and capabilities they need to thrive in today's competitive landscape. With Start Left®, organizations can confidently navigate the complexities of outsourcing software development while maintaining the highest standards of security, integrity, and quality.

SHARE!

More Resources

March 26, 2025
Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) and Developer Security Posture Management (DevSPM) tools promise visibility, prioritization, and increased security coverage—compelling offerings for any security-conscious organization. However, there's a critical gap that technical evaluations led solely by AppSec engineers often overlook.
March 22, 2025
From Reactive to Engineering Excellence In our original " Toyota Moment " post, we exposed the fundamental flaw in how cybersecurity has evolved: we’ve treated it like post-production inspection, not like quality engineering. This follow-up digs deeper into how we got here, why the industry's stuck in a loop, and what the shift to Execution Intelligence really means. The security industry, much like early manufacturing, was built on reactivity—not design. But just as Toyota revolutionized manufacturing with Lean systems and embedded quality, software security is ready for its own transformation. 🔁 Here’s how it’s played out over the last 25 years: REACTIVE (2000-2015) — Piling on tools, alerts, and policies ⬇ WARRANTY (2015-2025) — CSPM + GRC retrofits risk after code ships; shift-left emerges ⬇ PROACTIVE (2022-2026) — ASPM solves what CSPM misses (but only tracks and doesn't fix the overarching problems with the security "system") ⬇ EXCELLENCE (2025-FUTURE) — Start Left as a methodology connects risk to developer behavior and builds security into execution itself
March 19, 2025
Traditional Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) vendors are getting it wrong because they’re focused on the wrong unit of measure.
March 13, 2025
The Industry is Stuck in a Broken Model For decades, cybersecurity has been a bolt-on process—chasing vulnerabilities, enforcing controls, and tracking risks instead of fixing the way software is built. The result? More tools, more alerts, more friction—but no real improvement in execution. Engineering continues to move forward, shipping faster than ever, but security remains reactive, layered on at the end of the development lifecycle, slowing teams down.
January 17, 2025
Security teams often rely on CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management) and Runtime Protection to safeguard cloud environments and applications after deployment. However, these solutions fail to address the root cause of vulnerabilities—unsecure development practices.
January 10, 2025
The Shift from Developer-Led to Developer-Championed Security
January 3, 2025
The cybersecurity industry loves yet another good buzzword. Right now, CNAPP (Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform) is the term being marketed as the ultimate convergence of ASPM (Application Security Posture Management) and CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management). But here’s the reality: CNAPP isn’t truly a best-of-breed convergence—it’s an acquisition-fueled patchwork of separate tools stitched together.
December 13, 2024
Discover the hidden costs of ignoring Security by Design. Learn why embedding security into your software development process is essential to avoid compliance risks, customer trust issues, and operational inefficiencies. Explore best practices to safeguard your growth and future-proof your business.
November 21, 2024
While CSPM & ASPM platforms stitched together in an acquisition claim to offer an integrated approach to security by aggregating data across the full lifecycle of software development, they often fall short of delivering true integration. Instead of fostering a cohesive, product-centric DevOps model, these platforms inadvertently create silos within their own systems. The root of the problem lies in the way these platforms are designed—they focus on providing lifecycle scan aggregation without addressing the need for a people-focused, product-centric implementation that truly facilitates DevSecOps.
Show more
Share by: