GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps

Lines of code increase at roughly the same rate as the team grows. Add to this a lack of standards and security analysis, and projects can be ruined in the medium term.

Performance and security issues can remain hidden for a long time, which is why it is so important to maintain code quality and security. Microsoft has launched GitHub Advanced Security, a solution to prevent security challenges that can also be applied to Azure DevOps. We explain what it is and how to implement it in your projects.

Code security for digital transformation

According to the Veracord Report – State of Software Security, 83% of applications have at least one security vulnerability. Furthermore, it takes teams that check less than ten times, approximately 70 days, to resolve security and performance flaws. This is something that could ruin a project in a matter of days.

Leaders of software development companies with a digital product at the core of their business know that teams need to maintain the quality and security of their code. However, keeping it secure and optimized in environments with a growing number of applications is no easy task.

To ensure that the team is using the right standard, companies can adopt code review systems. This is where GitHub Advanced Security comes in.

GitHub Advanced Security

GitHub has many features that help you improve and maintain code quality. Some are included in all plans, such as the dependency graph and Dependabot alerts.

GitHub has launched a proposal that provides additional security measures to help improve and maintain code quality. GitHub Advanced Security also does this faster by using built-in tools, such as secret scanning and code scanning using CodeQL.

It is a set of tools that require the active participation of a company’s developers.

We explain in more detail the different characteristics of the different features.

GitHub Code Scanning

This feature scans code in a GitHub repository for security vulnerabilities and code bugs.

It can be used to find, rank, and prioritize fixes to existing problems in the code. It also acts in a preventative mode because if it finds a potential vulnerability or bug in the code, it will trigger an alert in the repository. And this will not be closed until it is fixed.

To monitor the code scanning results, you can use webhooks or the API to find the configuration to use the CodeQL product or a third-party code scanning tool.

Secret scanning

If a project communicates with an external service, such as a database, storage, etc., you probably use connection strings, keys, or authentication tokens, which should not be in the repository.

This option detects these “secrets” inserted into private repositories. It creates secret examination alerts (for users and partners); if insertion protection is enabled, it also detects secrets when inserted into the repository.

If a secret is registered in a repository, anyone with read access can use it to access the external service with their privileges. Secret scanning will examine the entire history in all present branches of the repository for secrets, as well as issue descriptions and the comments of the secrets..

Review of dependencies

It shows the total impact of the changes on dependencies and allows you to view the details of vulnerable versions before merging a pull request.

This helps to understand the changes and the security impact of these changes on each pull request. In fact, it reports which dependencies have been added, removed, or updated, how many projects use these components, vulnerability data for these dependencies…

GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps

Microsoft has gone a step further and launched GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps, now open source. It is an application security service that is native to the developer workflow. It enables engineering, security, and operations teams to prioritize innovation and improve DevOps security without sacrificing productivity.

As with the previous service, it features secret scanning, dependency scanning, and code scanning, to which a set of security testing tools native to the Azure DevOps platform has been added.

Some of its main benefits are:

• Stop secret leaks: Prevent secret leaks from application development processes with fast and easy secret scanning without the need for additional tools through the Azure DevOps user interface.
• Securing the software supply chain: protects the supply chain by identifying any vulnerable open-source components that can be used with dependency scanning. This allows for easy guidance on updating component references for troubleshooting in minutes.
• Avoid vulnerabilities while writing code: Find and fix security vulnerabilities in code without leaving Azure DevOps, thanks to powerful static analysis. In addition, you can visualize the results in the user interface to facilitate collaboration, prevention, and remediation.

GitHub Advanced Security Partner

If you need a partner to implement GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps and don’t know who to choose, here are several reasons why you should choose Plain Concepts:

• We are the first partner in Spain accredited by GitHub.
• We have worked for more than 17 years in the Agile culture, a benchmark in the DevOps community.
• We have a team of more than 350 senior engineers specialized in App Innovation and DevOps.
• AMMP accredited.
• DevSecOps with MVPs.

In addition, we don’t stop at certifications, and we offer you an exclusive GitHub Adoption Framework so that you can find the service that best suits your needs from the best experts.

You can train in GitHub Actions, GitHub for developers, GitHub Admin, GitHub Api, GitHub Copilot and, of course, GitHub Advanced Security and Advanced Security for DevOps..

GitHub Advanced Security Training

You will learn how to protect your code with advanced security features at every stage of its development lifecycle.

We offer you:

• Specific instructions tailored to your roles (such as security teams, developers and infrastructure teams), giving you a better understanding of GitHub security and its effective use, as well as its integration with Azure DevOps.
• Best practices for deployment: You will learn and apply industry best practices for deploying GitHub Advanced Security (also its integration with Azure DevOps) in your organisation, ensuring a smooth and efficient implementation that maximises the benefits of the tool.
• Avoid pitfalls and problems: our training will equip you with the knowledge to identify and avoid common problems and challenges associated with using the service, enabling you to maintain a secure and efficient development environment.
• Upon completion of the training, you will possess the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively implement and use GitHub Advanced Security and GitHub within your company’s Azure DevOps environments, improving the overall security and efficiency of your software development processes.

At Plain Concepts you will find your best ally to protect your code and your company. What are you waiting for to take the leap to the next level?