This series of articles aims to identify the best practices to implement in order to secure your delivery process and your CI/CD pipelines:
0. DevSecOps & CI/CD Pipelines: understand the fundamentals.
1. Version Control System Security
2. Secure Continuous Integration (CI) Pipelines
3. Secure Continuous Delivery (CD) Pipelines
4. Securely Managing Secrets in CI/CD Pipelines
5. Securely Managing Artifacts in CI/CD Pipelines
6. CI/CD Pipeline Security: Strategies to Detect and Counter Cyber Threats
By Gologic with the collaboration of Alexandre Couëdelo.
Introduction: The Limitations of Prevention Strategies
Prevention strategies based solely on “scanners” are insufficient to respond to potential threats effectively. While the ‘shift-left’ approach—raising development teams’ security awareness and integrating security measures early in the pipeline—remains critical, it is not enough.
The unpredictable nature of cyberattacks demands more than prevention. It requires a detection and response system that ensures vigilance at all times.
In this article, we explore the often-overlooked aspect of observability: ensuring that your security measures are not only in place but also effective. We’ll dive into the concept of security events and discuss how to set up automated alerting systems to prioritize and mitigate critical threats impacting your software delivery systems.
The Role of Observability in CI/CD Security
Observability as the Foundation of Security
Security, at its core, is akin to detective work. Just as detectives require tools to uncover the truth, your teams need tools to:
- Measure system performance using metrics.
- Identify clues through logs and events.
- Map the flow of information with traces.
These three components—logs, metrics, and traces—constitute the foundation of observability. They provide a comprehensive view of your system, enabling teams to monitor, analyze, and respond to potential threats effectively.
Critical Components to Monitor in CI/CD Pipelines
Observability practices in CI/CD security closely resemble those in application security (AppSec) but with a focus on specific critical systems:
- Code Repositories: Track user actions to identify unauthorized or suspicious activities.
- Pipeline Runners: Monitor execution processes for anomalies.
- Artifact Stores: Verify the integrity and security of stored artifacts.
- Secret Stores: Protect sensitive information such as API keys and tokens.
For each of these components:
- Logs should capture all user actions, especially those of administrators, to identify suspicious behavior.
- Traces should reveal connections between your internal network and external systems to detect unexpected calls.
- Metrics should flag patterns like sudden activity spikes, often indicative of data exfiltration or compromised credentials.
Identifying and Tracking Security Events
What Are Security Events?
Monitoring all system signals can generate an overwhelming amount of data. To focus efforts, you must identify security events—observable occurrences that indicate potential violations, threats, or weaknesses.
Steps to Identify Security Events
Begin by narrowing your scope to a fixed list of trackable events, such as:
- Access Log Audits: Ensure access policies are consistently followed.
- Request Path Tracing: Trace CI/CD requests to detect unexpected calls leaving your infrastructure.
- Vulnerability Tracking: Use scans to identify application vulnerabilities (e.g., CVEs) and enforce resolution deadlines based on criticality.
Leveraging SIEM Tools for Forensic Analysis
For advanced investigations, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools are essential. These tools analyze logs and metrics using two primary approaches:
- Pattern Recognition: Matching collected data against known attack patterns.
- Event Correlation and Analytics: Combining diverse metrics to uncover potential security incidents.
Automated Alerting: Responding Swiftly to Threats
Prioritizing Alerts Without Being Overwhelmed
Automated alerting systems are vital for acknowledging security events in real time. These systems categorize events based on their priority and criticality, allowing teams to respond quickly while maintaining the development workflow.
However, managing alerts effectively requires filtering out false positives and minor events. Focus on key alerts, such as:
- Critical Vulnerabilities: A CVSS score of 9 or higher detected during a scan requires immediate action.
- High-Privilege Account Usage: Frequent use of such accounts indicates a potential security risk, as CI/CD systems should avoid relying on accounts with extensive admin privileges.
- High I/O Throughput: An unusual volume of data transfer in the pipeline could signify data exfiltration attempts.
Security Reviews and Audits
Not all security events require immediate intervention. Conduct periodic security reviews to:
- Analyze reported events.
- Plan remediation efforts for less critical incidents.
Conclusion: Strengthening CI/CD Security with Proactive Measures
Securing CI/CD pipelines requires more than preventive measures. By implementing robust monitoring systems to collect data and leveraging automated analysis tools, organizations can detect and prioritize security events effectively.
Security events are critical points of focus, reflecting potential violations or risks. Using advanced tools like SIEM systems, combined with consistent alert filtering and regular audits, ensures that critical threats are addressed swiftly, and the remaining events are handled proactively.
A vigilant approach—combining detection, response, and continuous improvement—ensures that your CI/CD pipelines remain resilient in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Secure your CI/CD pipelines today with these proven strategies! Leverage our expertise to implement best practices effectively. Discover our DevOps compliance and security services.
By Gologic with the collaboration of Alexandre Couëdelo.
