The Cloudflare Blog: Demonstrating reduction of vulnerability classes: a key step in CISA’s “Secure by Design” pledge

Source URL: https://blog.cloudflare.com/cisa-pledge-commitment-reducing-vulnerability/
Source: The Cloudflare Blog
Title: Demonstrating reduction of vulnerability classes: a key step in CISA’s “Secure by Design” pledge

Feedly Summary: Cloudflare strengthens its commitment to cybersecurity by joining CISA’s “Secure by Design" pledge. In line with this, we’re reducing the prevalence of vulnerability classes across our products.

AI Summary and Description: Yes

**Summary:** The text outlines Cloudflare’s commitment to software security, emphasizing its alignment with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Secure-by-Design pledge. It highlights the proactive measures taken to eliminate critical vulnerabilities, specifically focusing on injection vulnerabilities and secrets in code. This approach underscores the importance of prevention over remediation and showcases Cloudflare’s dedication to transparency and accountability in enhancing its security posture, ultimately benefiting both the organization and its customers.

**Detailed Description:**

– **Contextual Background:**
– The escalation of cyber threats and the exploitation of systemic vulnerabilities in technologies necessitate a stronger focus on securing software systems.
– The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has established best practices under the Secure-by-Design pledge.

– **Cloudflare’s Commitment:**
– On May 8, 2024, Cloudflare signed the CISA pledge, emphasizing a foundational approach to security.
– A key objective is to mitigate entire classes of vulnerabilities, a target shared by Cloudflare’s Product Security program.

– **Core Philosophy:**
– Cloudflare’s guiding principle is “prevent, not patch,” focusing on securing the software development lifecycle.
– There has been significant effort in eliminating two high-impact vulnerability classes: injection vulnerabilities and secrets in code.

– **Vulnerability Detection and Prevention Techniques:**
– **Injection Vulnerabilities:**
– Defined as risks associated with improper mixing of code and data.
– Cloudflare employs security reviews, secure code scans, and vulnerability testing to combat these vulnerabilities.
– **Secrets in Code:**
– High-risk items that can lead to unauthorized access and insider threats.
– Enhanced detection tools and rules help reduce the likelihood of these vulnerabilities.

– **Adoption of Secure Defaults and Automation:**
– To proactively address vulnerabilities, Cloudflare uses frameworks that separate data from code, alongside secure storage for sensitive information.
– Continuous automation through enhanced static application security testing (SAST) integrated into CI/CD workflows helps identify vulnerabilities early.

– **Developer Enablement:**
– Cloudflare prioritizes the continuous education of development teams about security best practices and tools.
– A culture of shared security responsibility has been established among its developers.

– **Custom Rulesets and CI/CD Integration:**
– The Product Security team has developed custom rulesets for scanning code and ensuring compliance with security policies.
– This process involves comprehensive scans for secure code and vulnerabilities that can be blocked before reaching production.

– **Outcomes Achieved:**
– Cloudflare’s recent efforts led to a 79% reduction in secrets found in code and a 44% reduction of detected injection vulnerabilities.
– These outcomes reflect the effectiveness of the proactive measures taken to manage systemic risks.

– **Future Commitment:**
– Cloudflare plans to enhance secure-by-design principles by integrating security practices at all stages of the software development lifecycle, investing in developer training, and fostering innovation.

– **Call to Action for Organizations:**
– The text encourages other organizations to embrace CISA’s Secure-by-Design principles to foster a more secure software environment, ensuring the protection of their systems and sensitive information.

Through these insights, professionals in AI, cloud, and infrastructure security can glean valuable lessons on implementing proactive security measures and enhancing their overall security posture within their organizations.