Secure

Traditional security often creates gates that slow delivery. When security is embedded in infrastructure and pipelines, it becomes a guardrail that enables speed with safety. We help security and engineering teams collaborate to build security into the infrastructure itself, so developers get secure defaults without friction. The result: fewer security reviews, faster delivery, better protection.

Prioritization and context are key. We implement progressive security gates—critical, exploitable vulnerabilities block deployment; informational findings go to backlog. We also focus on fixing problems in templates and base images so individual teams don't inherit debt. The goal is actionable signal, not noise. If developers ignore findings because there are too many, the scanning isn't working.

Start with the highest-risk, lowest-friction options: dependency scanning (SCA) catches known vulnerabilities in libraries you're already using. IaC scanning catches misconfigurations before deployment. Container scanning secures your base images. SAST (static code analysis) adds value but often has more noise. We recommend a phased approach that builds trust with developers before expanding scope.

IaC scanning catches misconfigurations—public S3 buckets, permissive security groups, unencrypted storage—before they're deployed. Policy-as-code (OPA, Sentinel, cloud-native policies) can enforce standards at deployment time. Secure module libraries provide pre-hardened patterns. The combination prevents misconfigurations from reaching production and reduces security review burden on human reviewers.

Automation doesn't replace auditors but dramatically reduces audit burden. Continuous compliance provides real-time assurance and evidence, so audits become validation exercises rather than evidence-gathering scrambles. Auditors appreciate organizations that can demonstrate controls in real-time—it builds confidence and often results in faster, smoother audits.

Phased migration with rollback procedures. First, deploy secrets management infrastructure. Second, implement secrets injection for new applications (set the standard going forward). Third, migrate existing applications team-by-team with testing and rollback capability. Most organizations complete migration in 2-3 months without production incidents. The key is not trying to migrate everything at once.

Role architecture matters more than individual policies. Design roles that match job functions and use permission boundaries to limit maximum privileges. Implement just-in-time access for elevated privileges. Automate access certification so unused permissions get removed. Treat service accounts with the same rigor as human accounts. IAM debt accumulates fast—build governance from the start.

Start by mapping the framework controls to your technical environment—what controls apply, and what's your current state? Identify gaps and prioritize based on risk and audit timeline. Implement compliance-as-code to continuously monitor the controls that matter. Build evidence collection automation so you're not scrambling before audits. Our Compliance Automation Framework service provides a structured approach.

Dependency scanning (SCA) in CI/CD catches known vulnerabilities in libraries. The challenge is prioritization—not every CVE is exploitable in your context. Focus on critical/high vulnerabilities with known exploits in libraries you actually use (not transitive dependencies buried deep). Automate dependency updates where safe (Dependabot, Renovate), and have a process for emergency patches when critical vulnerabilities emerge.