Application security (AppSec) is important for all industries, including the public sector. The nation’s security and safety are dependent on our mission systems working accurately and being able to receive upgrades in a timely manner.
Increasingly, software applications, websites, and supply chains are at risk of cyberattacks, data breaches, cyber espionage, hacks, and more. To counteract these persistent threats, agencies need AppSec tools to improve software quality—including security and safety—while achieving compliance, increasing productivity, and reducing cycle time and costs.
Improve software quality
Software quality includes security, reliability, and safety.
Security and reliability
Unpatched vulnerabilities and unmitigated weaknesses in software code are easy to exploit. The effort and risks required to exploit software are low and the rewards are high. Ninety percent 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 software.
Safety
In today’s world of cyberattacks, 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 property from code quality and security issues that could cause malfunctions that 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 (SBOM).
Achieve compliance
Black Duck can help your agency support a risk-based approach to security that aligns to the underlying principles of FISMA and to frameworks such as the NIST Risk Management Framework and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. AppSec tools can provide detailed reports listing the specific rules and categories of each standard that the tools address.
Increase productivity and efficiency
Finding and resolving 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.
- Drive mission efficiency by reducing the time it takes to test each new release by at least four to six hours per known vulnerability.
- 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, Black Duck® 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 Black Duck team has industry expertise and is dedicated to supporting our public sector customers, including the U.S. Department of Defense, federal contractors, civilian agencies, the Intelligence community, and state and local government.
Black Duck 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
- Aerospace and defense
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Energy
- Information technology (IT)
- Smart cities
The recognized leader in software security
See why our customers rely on Black Duck to help them build trust in their software
Build compliance, quality, and security into software with speed and efficiency
Static analysis (SAST)
Find and fix security weaknesses and quality issues in code as it is being developed.
Learn more about SASTInteractive analysis (IAST)
Software composition
analysis (SCA)
Find and fix known security vulnerabilities and license compliance issues in open source and third-party code.
Learn more about SCAFuzz testing
Test common APIs and protocols on actively running applications for weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
Learn more about fuzz testingDynamic analysis (DAST)
Training
Access interactive courseware designed to help developers learn as they code and implement secure coding best practices.
Learn more about security training
Let us help you navigate the complex public sector compliance landscape
Many Black Duck employees and authorized partners serve or have served as subject matter experts for committees, boards, working groups, programs, and projects related to AppSec standards, policies, and regulatory guidelines.
Black Duck 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.
Enhancing public sector application security with Carahsoft
Carahsoft Technology Corp. is the Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, supporting federal, state, and local government as well as the education and healthcare industries. As the Master Government Aggregator® for our vendor and reseller partners, Carahsoft delivers solutions for cybersecurity, multicloud, DevSecOps, big data, artificial intelligence, open source, customer experience and engagement, and more.
Learn how to buy AppSec tools for the public sector
Federal agencies and government contractors can acquire Black Duck tools directly from Black Duck 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 Black Duck public sector software security and quality expert to get a software demo, free trial, or quote.
View featured resources
