Cost-Effective Ways for Startups to Improve Application and Cloud Security

Today's broad spectrum of security threats necessitates a variety of specialized tools to address different types of vulnerabilities in applications and cloud infrastructure.

These security solutions often come with high costs, posing a significant burden for startups operating on limited budgets. The expense of acquiring and maintaining a full suite of security tools can be daunting, leaving startups vulnerable if they cannot afford the necessary protection.

One such example is Jit’s Minimal Viable Security (MVS) plan, designed to offer essential security controls at a fraction of the cost, enabling startups to implement strong security measures from the outset.

Now that the basics are out of the way, let's focus on showcasing free and easy-to-use tools that startups can integrate into their workflows.

» Learn more about minimum viable security

In this article, we'll cover some additional cost effective options for application and cloud security tooling, so startups can stay secure without breaking the bank.

1. Scan Custom Code for Vulnerabilities With Semgrep

Semgrep

Custom code SAST tool

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Core capabilities of Semgrep

Semgrep is a powerful yet lightweight static analysis testing tool that is freely available and open-source. It is designed to scan source code for security vulnerabilities and code quality issues across multiple programming languages, including:

• Python
• JavaScript
• Java
• Go
• Etc.

Additionally, Semgrep offers a flexible and comprehensive approach to code analysis, allowing developers to write custom rules tailored to their specific security needs. Its ability to perform pattern matching and semantic searches makes it a versatile tool for identifying potential security flaws and ensuring that the code adheres to best practices.

Types of vulnerabilities Semgrep finds

Semgrep can detect a wide range of vulnerabilities—such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and insecure API usage—making it an invaluable tool for startups looking to secure their codebases.

Moreover, Semgrep is quite adept at finding hard-coded secrets such as passwords, API keys, and other sensitive information that might be inadvertently committed to the codebase. By identifying these issues early in the development process, Semgrep helps ensure that the code follows security best practices and reduces the risk of security breaches.

Why Semgrep is easy and free to adopt

Semgrep is not only free but also simple to install and use, making it accessible for startups without extensive security resources. Its intuitive command-line interface and rich documentation help developers and security teams get started with minimal effort.

The extensive community support and continuously updated rulesets make it a reliable tool for maintaining code security. Moreover, Semgrep's flexibility allows it to adapt to the evolving needs of a growing startup, ensuring that security remains a top priority without incurring significant costs.



» Learn how to set up Semgrep rules for optimized scanning

Integrating Semgrep Into the SDLC

Integrating Semgrep into the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is straightforward, particularly within CI/CD pipelines for automated scanning. To set up Semgrep, follow these steps:

1. Install Semgrep: Use the command line to install Semgrep with a simple command:

   pip install semgrep

2. Use pre-configured rulesets: Start by using pre-configured rulesets available from the Semgrep registry, which cover common vulnerabilities and security issues.
3. Customize rules as needed: Customize or create new rules to address specific security concerns unique to your codebase.
4. Automate in CI/CD pipelines: Integrate Semgrep into your CI/CD pipelines by adding a Semgrep scan step to your build process. This ensures that code is automatically scanned for vulnerabilities each time it is pushed or merged. See details below.

Example Configuration for GitLab CI/CD

To integrate Semgrep into your CI/CD pipeline, you can add a job that runs Semgrep as part of your build process. Below is an example configuration for integrating Semgrep into a GitLab CI/CD pipeline:

1. Install Semgrep:

   Add a `before_script` section in your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file to install Semgrep.

2. Configure the .gitlab-ci.yml file: Add a job for running Semgrep during the CI/CD pipeline.

Example .gitlab-ci.yml:

stages:
  - build
  - test

before_script:
  # Install dependencies
  - apt-get update
  - apt-get install -y python3 python3-pip
  # Install Semgrep
  - pip3 install semgrep

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "Building the project..."

scan:
  stage: test
  script:
    # Run Semgrep scan
    - semgrep --config "p/ci" .
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - semgrep-report.txt

» See our list of our favorite SAST tools

This configuration does the following:

• Defines two stages: build and test
• Installs Semgrep and its dependencies
• Placeholder job for your build process
• Runs Semgrep to scan the codebase for vulnerabilities using a pre-configured ruleset (p/ci) and saves the report as an artifact

2. Scan Open Source Code Vulnerabilities With OSV Scanner

OSV Scanner

Open-source code vulnerability scanner

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Core capabilities of OSV scanner

OSV Scanner is a free and open-source tool designed to scan open-source dependencies for known vulnerabilities. By leveraging comprehensive vulnerability databases, it can identify issues in dependencies used across various ecosystems, including JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. This tool ensures that the open-source components integrated into your projects are secure and up-to-date with the latest security patches.

OSV Scanner's integration with major vulnerability databases allows it to provide detailed information about identified vulnerabilities, including:

• The severity of the vulnerabilities
• The affected versions
• Recommended fixes and mitigations

These features enable developers to make informed decisions about updating or replacing vulnerable dependencies.

Types of vulnerabilities OSV Scanner can find

As an open-source code scanner, OSV Scanner can detect a wide range of vulnerabilities, including those in outdated libraries and insecure dependencies. It is particularly effective at identifying issues such as:

• Known security vulnerabilities that are disclosed in major databases like CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) and NVD (National Vulnerability Database)
• Vulnerabilities arising from outdated or unmaintained open-source packages
• Dependency issues where insecure libraries are used indirectly through other packages

By identifying these vulnerabilities, OSV Scanner helps developers keep their projects secure and ensures compliance with best security practices.

Why OSV Scanner is easy and free to adopt

OSV Scanner is designed to be free and open-source, making it an ideal solution for startups looking to enhance their security posture without significant costs. Its minimal configuration requirements and compatibility with various package managers make its adoption as simple as possible. Additionally, OSV Scanner has comprehensive documentation, as well as active community support, making it accessible to developers with varying levels of expertise.

By integrating OSV Scanner into their development workflows, startups can ensure that their open-source dependencies are secure and up-to-date, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities and enhancing overall project security.



» Here are some other open-source application security tools

Integrating OSV Scanner into the SDLC

Integrating OSV Scanner into the software development lifecycle is straightforward and can significantly enhance the security of your open-source components. Follow these steps to set up OSV Scanner:

1. Install OSV Scanner: You can use Windows Scoop, Homebrew, or other package manager tools to install OSV Scanner, depending on your operating system and programming language. For brew users, simply use the following command:

   brew install osv-scanner 

2. Automate scans in CI/CD pipelines: Add OSV Scanner to your CI/CD pipelines to automatically scan dependencies during the build process. To add OSV Scanner to your CI/CD pipelines, configure your CI/CD tool to run OSV Scanner during the build process. For GitHub Actions, create a `.github/workflows/osv-scanner.yml` file with steps to set up the Go environment, install the OSV Scanner, and run it on the repository. For GitLab CI/CD, create a `.gitlab-ci.yml` file with a similar setup using the Go image. Both configurations ensure that OSV Scanner scans dependencies during the build process, detecting vulnerabilities before deployment.
3. Regular monitoring: Schedule regular scans of your open-source dependencies to stay updated with the latest vulnerabilities and apply patches as needed.

» Compare OSV Scanner to npm-audit

Example Configuration for GitLab CI/CD

You can integrate OSV Scanner into your GitLab CI/CD pipeline by following these steps:

1. Install OSV Scanner: Use a `before_script` section in your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file to install OSV Scanner.

2. Configure the .gitlab-ci.yml file: Add a job for running OSV Scanner during the CI/CD pipeline.

Example .gitlab-ci.yml:

stages:
  - build
  - test

before_script:
  - apt-get update
  - apt-get install -y curl
  - curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh | bash
  - echo 'eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >>~/.profile
  - eval "$(/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
  - brew install osv-scanner

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "Building the project..."

scan:
  stage: test
  script:
    - osv-scanner --recursive .
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - osv-scanner-report.json 

3. Scan Your Repositories for Hardcoded Secrets With gitleaks

gitleaks

Hardcoded repository secrets scanner

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Core capabilities of gitleaks

gitleaks is a free, open-source tool specifically designed to detect hardcoded secrets in Git repositories. It scans for sensitive data that might be inadvertently committed to source code, such as:

• API keys
• Passwords
• Tokens

gitleaks provides a robust solution for identifying and addressing these security risks, helping startups prevent unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

Types of vulnerabilities gitleaks finds

Gitleaks can uncover various types of sensitive information, including:

• AWS keys
• Database credentials
• Private keys

By finding and removing these hardcoded secrets, gitleaks helps startups protect their codebases from unauthorized access and potential data breaches. This proactive approach to security ensures that sensitive information is not exposed, reducing the risk of exploitation.

Why gitleaks is easy and free to adopt

gitleaks is free and simple to install, making it a cost-effective solution for startups to secure their codebases. Its ease of use, with straightforward setup instructions and pre-configured detection patterns, requires minimal customization.

This accessibility allows startups to quickly implement gitleaks and start benefiting from its security features without significant cost and time investments or extensive security resources.



» Here are some tips for running secret scans with gitleaks and Jit

Integrating Gitleaks into the SDLC

Integrating Gitleaks into the SDLC is a simple process that can significantly enhance the security of your repositories. Here are the steps to set it up:

1. Install Gitleaks: Use the command line to install Gitleaks with a simple command:

   go get github.com/zricethezav/gitleaks/v7 

2. Use pre-configured detection patterns: Start by using pre-configured detection patterns available from Gitleaks, which cover common secrets and sensitive information.
3. Customize detection patterns: Customize or create new detection patterns to address specific security concerns unique to your codebase.
4. Automate in CI/CD pipelines: Integrate Gitleaks into your CI/CD pipelines by adding a Gitleaks scan step to your build process. This ensures that repositories are automatically scanned for hardcoded secrets each time code is pushed or merged.

» See the developer guide to implementing gitleaks

4. Scan Your Infrastructure as Code for Cloud Vulnerabilities With KICS

KICS

IaC vulnerability scanner

Learn More

Core capabilities of KICS

KICS (Keeping Infrastructure as Code Secure) is a free open-source tool designed to scan infrastructure as code (IaC) files for security vulnerabilities. It supports multiple IaC formats such as Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, and Kubernetes, offering versatile security coverage.

KICS helps ensure that your IaC scripts adhere to security best practices, reducing the risk of misconfigurations that could expose cloud environments to potential threats.

Types of vulnerabilities KICS can find

KICS can detect a wide range of vulnerabilities in IaC files, including:

• Insecure configurations: Identifies default settings that haven't been hardened, which could compromise the overall security of your infrastructure.
• Overly permissive IAM roles: Detects IAM roles that grant excessive permissions, potentially allowing unauthorized access and actions within your cloud environment.
• Potential data exposure risks: Can find configurations and practices that could inadvertently expose sensitive data, such as misconfigured storage buckets or databases.
• Exposed secrets: Detects hardcoded secrets like passwords, API keys, and tokens within IaC scripts, preventing these sensitive items from being unintentionally leaked.

By scanning your IaC scripts, KICS helps ensure that they comply with security best practices and do not introduce unnecessary risks into cloud environments.

Why KICS is easy and free to adopt

KICS is an excellent choice for startups due to its free availability and user-friendly setup. It supports a broad range of IaC formats and provides detailed, actionable reports that simplify vulnerability management. The straightforward installation process, combined with comprehensive documentation and community support, makes KICS accessible even for teams with limited security resources.



» Review the best cloud security tools

Integrating KICS into the SDLC

Integrating KICS into the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is straightforward, especially within secure CI/CD pipelines for automated scanning. Here are the steps to integrate KICS:

1. Install KICS: You can install KICS using Docker or directly from the source. For Docker, use the command:

   docker pull checkmarx/kics 

2. Set up scanning: Configure KICS to scan your IaC files. You can create a configuration file to specify the types of scans and rules you want to apply.
3. Automate scans in CI/CD pipelines: Add KICS to your CI/CD pipelines to automatically scan IaC files during the build process. This ensures that any vulnerabilities are detected and addressed early in the development process.

» See these other great IaC security tools

Example KICS Configuration With GitHub Actions

name: KICS Scan

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  kics-scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Install Docker
        run: sudo apt-get install docker.io

      - name: Run KICS
        run: docker run -v $(pwd):/kics-project checkmarx/kics:latest -p /kics-project

Regular scans of IaC files help maintain secure configurations as your infrastructure evolves.

» See our list of IaC security essentials

5. Implement CI/CD Misconfiguration Checks with Legitify

Legitify

CI/CD misconfiguration scanner

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Core capabilities of Legitify

Legitify is a free tool designed to check for security misconfigurations in CI/CD systems like GitHub Actions. It can detect common misconfigurations that expose projects to security risks, such as improper access controls and unsafe workflow settings.

Legitify helps ensure that CI/CD pipelines are securely configured, minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities being introduced during the build and deployment process.

Types of vulnerabilities Legitify can find

Legitify can identify a variety of specific misconfigurations, including:

• Excessive permissions: Detects overly permissive access controls that can lead to unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
• Insecure triggers: Identifies unsafe workflow triggers that could allow malicious actors to execute unauthorized actions.
• Improperly stored secrets: Flags secrets stored in plaintext or insecure locations, which can be easily accessed and exploited by attackers.

By addressing these issues, Legitify enhances the security of CI/CD pipelines, ensuring they follow best practices and are securely set up.

Why Legitify is easy and free to adopt

Legitify’s free access and straightforward integration with popular CI/CD systems make it an excellent choice for startups. Its ease of use and minimal setup requirements allow teams to quickly implement and benefit from its security checks.

By adopting Legitify, startups can enhance their CI/CD pipeline security without incurring significant costs, ensuring that their development and deployment processes are securely managed.



Integrating Legitify into the SDLC

Integrating Legitify into the SDLC involves setting it up to automatically audit CI/CD configurations during the build and deployment process. Here are the steps to integrate Legitify:

1. Install Legitify: You can install Legitify using the command:

   go get github.com/circa10a/legitify

2. Configure Legitify: Set up Legitify to audit your CI/CD configurations by creating a configuration file that specifies the rules and checks you want to apply.
3. Automate audits in CI/CD pipelines: Add Legitify to your CI/CD pipelines to automatically audit configurations during the build and deployment stages.

» Take a deeper dive into Legitify to detect CI/CD misconfigurations

Example GitHub Actions Configuration

name: Legitify Scan

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  legitify-scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Install Legitify
        run: go get github.com/circa10a/legitify

      - name: Run Legitify
        run: legitify scan --config .legitify.yaml 

Regular reviews and audits of CI/CD systems help maintain secure configurations over time.

» Need more help? Here's how to use Legitify to detect misconfigurations

Simplifying Security for Startups With Jit

Jit is a DevSecOps platform specifically designed to streamline the implementation of multiple security tools for startups. It provides an integrated approach to security management, consolidating various tools into a single, cohesive platform. By doing so, Jit simplifies the complex task of managing security across different stages of the SDLC.

Jit integrates powerful tools such as Semgrep, OSV Scanner, Gitleaks, KICS, and Legitify, offering comprehensive security coverage from code vulnerabilities to infrastructure misconfigurations. This unified platform helps startups maintain robust security practices without the need for extensive resources or expertise.

» See Jit's platform overview

Benefits of Using Jit

• Integrated and unified security solutions: Jit consolidates various tools into a unified platform, reducing complexity and making it easier to manage security across different stages of the SDLC.
• Developer-friendly: Developers never need to leave their environment to surface and resolve code vulnerabilities. With fast scanning times and auto remediation, developers to independently resolve issues before production.
• Cost-effective: Moreover, Jit offers a pricing structure that is highly affordable for startups. It is free for a team consisting of up to three developers, making it accessible to small teams. For larger teams, the cost is $50 per developer per month, providing a scalable and affordable security solution.

» Discover the key techniques every DevSecOps pro needs

By leveraging Jit, startups can enhance their security posture effectively and efficiently, ensuring that they are protected against a wide range of security threats while maintaining focus on their core development activities.