Applications, systems that facilitate user convenience, whether at an organizational or individual level, have become integral to daily life. From statistics in 2023, it's clear that over 80% of people worldwide own smartphones, indicating the significant role applications play in daily life. However, how can we ensure that the applications we use are sufficiently secure?
As providers of IT systems or applications, ensuring security is paramount. Security measures encompass various aspects such as technology, hardware, features, and even the programs used for defense. Today, I'll illustrate some methods for enhancing IT system or application security.
• Firewall: Acts as the primary barrier protecting data entering and exiting.
• Antivirus: Typically installed on laptops, computers, and various devices.
• Data encryption: Prevents unauthorized access to data.
There are multiple ways to enhance IT system or application security in the current era. For instance, security measures can be implemented from the very beginning of code writing, known as "Shift-Left." However, focusing solely on "Shift-Left" isn't sufficient for ensuring comprehensive application security. For further information, you can refer to the video titled "Shift Inside: Why shift left is not enough for application security" by Kittipat Nuntinun, CTO of DPEM (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Next, let's discuss a solution for enhancing real-time application security
Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP)
RASP defends our applications while they're running and being accessed by users, constituting real-time application protection. In today's context, where applications may not undergo continuous development or code updates, RASP emerges as a vital security measure. However, before implementing real-time application security, your applications must have monitoring or observability in all aspects. You might wonder if this requires multiple tools, including monitoring, observability, and security, not to mention the cost of each tool for achieving complete RASP functionality.
In the market, there are some tools that offer all-in-one platforms. Here, I'd like to mention Dynatrace as an example. Dynatrace provides observability services ranging from infrastructure to application levels, along with an application security module. This platform facilitates real-time application security enhancement.
I hope these tricks for enhancing real-time application security prove beneficial to all readers.