Shift Left is Only Part of Secure Software Delivery in Financial Services

In the rapidly evolving financial services sector, advancements in software development, such as DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines, have facilitated faster and more secure software delivery. The "shift left" philosophy emphasizes incorporating security into the early stages of software design and development to prevent vulnerabilities, contrasting with the traditional waterfall approach. Effective application security testing involves methods like software composition analysis and static application security testing to detect issues early in the software development life cycle. However, early testing can produce numerous findings, necessitating the prioritization of critical vulnerabilities. Augmenting these tests with runtime insights helps developers focus on high-risk issues, enhancing security while allowing developers to concentrate on innovation. Although shifting left is crucial, it must be paired with protective and remediation strategies post-release to ensure comprehensive security. This approach, combining shift left with "shield right" practices, allows financial institutions to maintain efficient DevSecOps operations and improve software delivery without compromising compliance or security.