Securing Your Software Development in Compliance with CISA: How OX Security Simplifies the Process

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently released its new Secure Software Development Attestation Form, which mandates significant responsibilities and declarations from software producers to ensure the security and integrity of software development and deployment processes. Often, these initiatives can be a considerable undertaking, but don’t worry –  we have you covered. Here is a breakdown of the form and multiple ways the OX Active ASPM platform can help:

What’s Required:

• Attestation Responsibility: The form requires a signature from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or an authorized designee of the software-producing entity, affirming the accuracy of the information provided.
• Applicability: The attestation applies to software developed or significantly updated after September 14, 2022, including Software as a Service (SaaS) products. Exceptions are made for free, open-source software or software developed directly by federal agencies.
• Third-Party Assessment: There is a recommendation to engage Third-Party Assessor Organizations (3PAOs) to verify compliance with the attestation requirements, suggesting an external validation process for the security measures in place.

Core Declarations:

• Secure Development Environment: The software producer certifies that the software was developed and built within secure environments, adhering to best practices and standards for cybersecurity.
• Source Code Supply Chain Security: A commitment is made to maintaining a trusted source code supply chain. This involves employing automated tools or processes that ensure the security of internal code and third-party components and managing any vulnerabilities.
• Provenance Maintenance: The pledge is to maintain provenance for all internal code and third-party components used in the software to the greatest extent feasible, ensuring traceability and integrity.
• Vulnerability Checks: Using automated tools or comparable processes to scan for and address security vulnerabilities regularly is affirmed, underscoring a proactive approach to cybersecurity.

How OX Can Help

OX Security can streamline your software supply chain security, particularly in the context of the attestation deadlines stipulated. Here’s how Active ASPM can transform and enhance your posture:

• Enhanced SDLC Visibility: By automatically identifying and mapping out all the tools and environments used throughout your SDLC—including APIs—OX offers unparalleled transparency and oversight across your development organization, in line with CISA attestation requirements.
• Inventory & Auto-Discovery: Automatically catalog applications and infrastructure for full visibility.
• PBOM Generation: Creates comprehensive Pipeline Bills of Materials for every software version, detailing its development lifecycle.
• Secrets Detection: Scans for secrets within all stages of the SDLC to prevent vulnerabilities.
• SDLC Hardening: Offers a suite of policies and best practices to secure your software development from code to deployment.
• Issue Management: Links software composition analysis (SCA) issues to SBOM, providing insights on compliance, package maintenance, and usage.
• Path Visualization:Ensures the integrity of your artifacts throughout the build process and provides a complete inventory of development and production resources.
• Vulnerability Management: Simplifies managing vulnerabilities, integrating with security frameworks to enhance risk assessment.
• Compliance Framework Support: Provides support for SOC2, NIST, and ISO, ensuring compliance.
• Flexibility: Guarantees comprehensive coverage, whether using in-house tools or OX scanners.

Ensuring compliance with the latest CISA attestation requirements might appear formidable. However, with the OX Active ASPM Platform, this requirement becomes manageable and an opportunity to significantly enhance the security and integrity of your software development lifecycle. 

From enhanced SDLC visibility to meeting provenance maintenance through PBOM and advanced secrets detection to comprehensive vulnerability management, OX empowers organizations to take the first step toward eliminating manual application security practices while confidently enabling scalable and secure development. By leveraging OX Security’s capabilities, organizations can confidently navigate the complexities of CISA compliance, secure their software supply chain, and foster a culture that ensures security is not an afterthought.

To learn how OX can help your company develop software in compliance with CISA, book a demo now to talk with an expert.