We’re in the midst of a digital revolution. Businesses, governments, and individuals rely extensively on software to carry out daily tasks, making security paramount. A single vulnerability can compromise personal data, financial information, and critical infrastructure.

Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting large corporations, small businesses, and individuals. This underscores the non-negotiable need for secure software to safeguard users and assets against potential threats.

Examples of Secure Software

From the Heartbleed bug to the Equifax breach, history is rife with examples of what happens when software security is compromised. These incidents have resulted in the theft of millions of data pieces and immense financial loss.

Consider the contrast between the massive Yahoo breach, affecting billions, and platforms like Signal or WhatsApp, where end-to-end encryption has become a celebrated feature. These scenarios drive home the difference secure development practices can make.

History teaches that a proactive approach to software security is more cost-effective than reactive measures after a breach. A single security lapse can devastate a company’s reputation, finances, and customer trust.

The Five Stages of Secure Software Development

1. Requirement Analysis

• Identifying Potential Threats: Before any code is written, it’s essential to assess potential risks by studying the software’s context, usage, and dependencies. This can be done using threat modeling, which anticipates various attack vectors.

• Understanding Security Needs: Every software and its security needs are unique. A medical record system will have different requirements than a casual mobile game. This stage involves a deep dive into data handling, user permissions, and anticipated user behaviors, among other aspects.

• Setting Clear Security Objectives: Post-risk assessment, clear objectives are set. These could range from ensuring end-to-end data encryption to ensuring the software complies with industry-specific regulations like HIPAA for healthcare apps.

2. Design

• Security First Blueprint:  In the design phase, a security-centric approach is adopted instead of merely developing a functional blueprint. This means considering security at every step, from database design to user interface.

• Role of Security Architects: Security architects play a crucial role in ensuring that security is not an afterthought but is integrated. They design the software’s architecture in a way that’s robust against known vulnerabilities and potential threats.

3. Implementation

• Secure Coding Practices: At this stage, developers start coding the software. Following established secure coding practices becomes paramount to ensure that the code is resistant to common vulnerabilities like SQL injection or cross-site scripting.

• Ongoing Reviews: At this stage, developers start coding the software. Following established secure coding practices becomes paramount to ensure the code resists common vulnerabilities like SQL injection or cross-site scripting.

4. Verification

• Rigorous Security Testing: Before the software goes live, it undergoes comprehensive testing. This isn’t just to check for functional bugs but also security flaws. The software is pushed to its limits to ensure it remains secure even under extreme conditions.

• Penetration Testing: Ethical hackers, known as penetration testers, try to “break” the software. They simulate real-world attacks to see if they can exploit any vulnerabilities, ensuring the software can withstand malicious intents.

• Vulnerability Assessments: Software tools and manual reviews are employed to systematically check for vulnerabilities, ensuring every aspect of the software, down to its smallest components, remains secure.

5. Maintenance

• Continuous Monitoring: Even after deployment, the software is continuously monitored for any unusual activities, ensuring swift action during an unexpected security incident.

• Regular Patches and Updates: As new vulnerabilities are discovered or as the threat landscape evolves, it’s crucial to provide timely updates and patches to the software to safeguard users and data.
• Feedback Loops: Feedback from users can offer insights into potential security flaws or areas of improvement. Maintaining a feedback loop ensures the software remains adaptive and up-to-date with current security demands.

Best Practices in Secure Software Development

1. Secure Coding Standards

• Emphasizing Security from Day One: Secure coding isn’t just a method but a mindset. By following standardized, secure coding practices, developers avoid common vulnerabilities and create a foundation for robust software security. Organizations like OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) and SANS Institute offer guidelines and top vulnerability lists to guide developers on what to avoid.

• Training and Awareness: Regular workshops and training sessions can keep developers updated with the latest threats and safe coding practices. Ensuring developers know the potential risks associated with insecure coding can drive home the importance of diligent, secure practices.

2. Security Audits

• The Role of Regular Checks: Audits play a pivotal role in identifying vulnerabilities that might have been overlooked during the development phase. Organizations can pinpoint and address flaws by conducting regular security audits before they become larger issues.

• Third-party Expertise: Often, bringing in third-party experts for audits provides an unbiased perspective. These experts can provide fresh insights, recognizing vulnerabilities internal teams might overlook due to familiarity with the project.

3. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) and Encryption

• Layered Defense with MFA: By implementing MFA, organizations add an additional security layer beyond just passwords. Even if a malicious actor gets ahold of a user’s password, they would still require another authentication factor (like a one-time code sent to the user’s phone) to gain access.

• Encryption – Guarding Data: Encrypting data, both at rest and in transit, ensures that even if malicious actors intercept the data, it remains unreadable and secure. Employing robust encryption algorithms and regularly updating encryption keys ensures data remains inaccessible to unauthorized parties.

4. Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)

• Reducing Access Points: By ensuring that every user, application, or process has only the minimum access required to perform its function, the potential avenues for exploitation are significantly reduced.

• Dynamic Access Control: Roles in software systems might change; a user with broad access today might not need the same level tomorrow. Regularly reviewing and updating access privileges ensures users don’t retain unnecessary permissions.

5. Software Updates and Dependencies

• Staying Ahead of Threats: The cyber threat landscape is ever-evolving. By regularly updating software, organizations can protect themselves against known vulnerabilities that malicious actors are looking to exploit.
• Dependency Management: Often, the software relies on third-party libraries or components. Keeping these dependencies updated is just as crucial. Outdated dependencies can introduce vulnerabilities, making the software susceptible to attacks even if its core codebase is secure.

Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC)

The Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) represents a foundational shift in the software development process. With the integration of security as a core element rather than an adjunct, the SSDLC reflects the pressing need of the modern era to prioritize cybersecurity.

Below, we dive into each phase of the SSDLC and explore how it augments the traditional software development approach with robust security practices.

1. Requirement Analysis

At this initial stage, the security needs of the software are outlined. This involves:

• Threat Modeling: Identifying potential threats and categorizing them based on their severity.

• Risk Assessment: Determining the potential risks associated with the identified threats.

• Defining Security Objectives: Setting clear goals and criteria for the software’s security performance based on the above assessments.

2. Secure Design

Security considerations are deeply integrated into the software’s architectural design.

• Blueprint Creation: Security architects collaborate with software designers to incorporate security elements into the software’s blueprint.

• Security Frameworks: Implementing frameworks that prioritize security, such as the use of secure APIs or specific protocols that ensure data integrity.

• Data Protection Design: Ensuring data storage, transfer, and processing methods are inherently secure.

3. Secure Implementation

The coding phase where developers are mandated to follow secure coding practices.

• Avoiding Common Vulnerabilities: Ensuring the software is immune to known issues like buffer overflows, SQL injections, or cross-site scripting.

• Code Reviews: Regular reviews by peers to identify any potential security loopholes.

• Utilizing Secure Libraries: Leveraging tried-and-tested libraries and avoiding the using deprecated or risky functions.

4. Secure Verification

This phase extends beyond mere functionality testing.

• Penetration Testing: Simulated cyberattacks on the software to identify vulnerabilities.

• Vulnerability Assessments: Using tools to scan the software for known security issues.

• Dynamic and Static Application Security Testing (DAST & SAST): Utilizing tools that analyze the application’s codebase, data flow, control flow, and configuration files for vulnerabilities, both in a running state (DAST) and in a non-running state (SAST).

5. Secure Deployment

Before the software goes live, it’s subjected to a final security review.

• Environment Hardening: Configuring the deployment environment to enhance security. This includes setting up firewalls, disabling unnecessary services, and more.

• Access Control: Ensuring that only authorized personnel can deploy the software.

• Backup Strategies: Implementing methods to back up data securely, ensuring data integrity and availability post-deployment.

6. Secure Maintenance

The post-deployment phase is not the end of the security considerations.

• Patch Management: Regularly rolling out security patches to address new and emerging threats.

• Continuous Monitoring: Using tools to constantly monitor the software for signs of security breaches or vulnerabilities.
• Incident Response: Having a plan to address any security incidents, ensuring swift action to mitigate potential damage.

Benefits of Secure Software Development

1. Enhanced User Trust: In an age of increasing cyber threats and frequent news of data breaches, users are naturally cautious about where they place their trust. Secure software alleviates users’ concerns about their data’s safety. When a user believes that a software or application prioritizes their data protection, they are more likely to engage with it consistently and recommend it to others. Over time, this trust translates into loyalty, making users less likely to switch to competing platforms.

2. Regulatory Compliance and Legal Safety: Various sectors, including finance, healthcare, and e-commerce, operate under stringent data protection regulations. Adhering to secure software development practices ensures businesses remain compliant with these regulations. By doing so, they avoid potential legal ramifications, which can be both costly and damaging to the brand’s reputation. For global operations, ensuring compliance across multiple countries and their unique set of regulations becomes simpler with secure software.

3. Cost-Effectiveness: While there’s an upfront investment involved in developing secure software, the long-term savings are significant. Secure software reduces the risk of costly data breaches. The aftermath of a cyber-attack can involve not just compensation to affected parties but also expenses related to damage control, public relations efforts, and potential legal fees. Moreover, secure software generally requires fewer patches and less frequent major updates, resulting in decreased maintenance costs.

4. Enhanced Brand Reputation: A company’s reputation is invaluable and can be significantly influenced by its software’s security standards. When businesses are known for their robust cybersecurity measures, they’re perceived as industry leaders and trustworthy entities. This positive image can be a significant advantage in competitive markets, attracting both end-users and potential business partnerships. A good reputation ensures that the brand remains in a favorable light, even if minor issues arise, as the audience believes in the company’s commitment to security.

5. Improved Software Quality: A focus on security often demands rigorous development and testing processes. This attention to detail, while centered on security, invariably results in better overall software quality. Secure software tends to be more stable, reliable, and user-friendly. Users enjoy a seamless experience, devoid of issues like unexpected crashes or glitches. As a result, they are more likely to have a favorable opinion of the software, leading to positive reviews and increased recommendations.

Guidelines for Secure Software Development

1. Adherence to Recognized Frameworks: It’s pivotal for developers to align their processes with globally recognized security frameworks such as OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). These frameworks offer a structured approach, detailing vulnerabilities and the best methods to mitigate them, ensuring that software is resistant to known threats.

2. Regular Security Training: The digital threat landscape is ever-evolving. To keep up with the new challenges and vulnerabilities, regular training sessions should be mandated for development teams. This ensures they’re always equipped with the latest knowledge about potential threats and can develop software that can withstand them.

3. Collaborative Development and Security Efforts: Security shouldn’t be an afterthought or the sole responsibility of a separate security team. Instead, development and security teams should work hand-in-hand from the inception of a project. This collaborative approach ensures security considerations are woven into the fabric of the software right from its design phase.

4. Implement Continuous Monitoring: Even after deployment, software needs to be constantly monitored for potential security threats. Setting up real-time monitoring systems can detect and address vulnerabilities as they arise, ensuring the software remains secure throughout its lifecycle.

5. Prioritize Immediate Response Protocols: In the event of a detected vulnerability or breach, there should be clear and immediate response protocols in place. These procedures ensure swift action, reducing potential damage and restoring software integrity as soon as possible.
6. Periodic Security Audits and Reviews: Even with the best practices in place, it’s wise to conduct periodic security audits and reviews. This serves as a double-check mechanism, ensuring no vulnerabilities have slipped through the cracks and that the software aligns with the latest security standards.

Checklist for Secure Software Development

Explore our checklist for secure software development.

1. Pre-development – Comprehensive Threat Modeling: Before any code is written, teams should engage in thorough threat modeling. This involves identifying potential security threats, understanding the risk associated with each, and developing strategies to mitigate these threats from the outset.

2. Pre-development – Clear Security Goal-Setting: Based on the threat modeling, set clear, measurable security objectives for the project. These can range from specific encryption standards to user access controls. Having these goals will provide a roadmap for the entire development process.

3. During Development – Iterative Vulnerability Checks: Instead of waiting until the end, vulnerabilities should be checked for at regular intervals during the development phase. This ensures that security issues are identified and addressed in real-time, preventing them from becoming deeply integrated into the software.

4. During Development – Regular Code Reviews: Peer code reviews serve as an effective measure to catch potential security oversights. By having another set of eyes on the code, the likelihood of identifying problematic code increases, thereby enhancing security.

5. During Development – Continuous Security Testing: Incorporate security testing as part of the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. This ensures that every update or change to the software is tested for security vulnerabilities before being merged or deployed.

6. Post-development – Proactive Monitoring: After the software is deployed, maintain a vigilant monitoring system to track and detect any unusual activities or potential security breaches. This enables timely intervention before any significant damage occurs.

7. Post-development – Periodic Vulnerability Assessments: Regularly evaluate the software for vulnerabilities, especially in the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape. New threats can emerge, and previously secure systems may become vulnerable. These assessments help in identifying and rectifying such issues.

8. Post-development – Timely Patches and Updates: In line with vulnerability assessments, ensure that patches and updates are rolled out promptly. This not only fixes identified vulnerabilities but also ensures the software is aligned with the latest security standards and protocols.

Conclusion

In today’s interconnected digital realm, the significance of secure software development cannot be overstated. The vast technological advancements, while enabling unprecedented innovation, have also unveiled a complex tapestry of cyber threats.

As the world grows more digital, prioritizing security in software endeavors isn’t just a best practice—it’s an absolute necessity. Every stakeholder, from developers to end-users, plays a role in this continuous journey of secure software development. Embracing this responsibility will pave the way for a safer, more secure digital future for all.

The post Unlock the Secrets of Secure Software Development appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

How Generative AI Transforms Customer Experience?

According to CLVG member Hal Adams, the way things change with AI today is the predictive element of understanding what’s happening fast enough to be able to change the result. “There are things you can do and react to much more quickly that you probably couldn’t do before AI,” he said, noting that when AIis in place, it elevates a traditional forecasting model.

1. Personalized Recommendations and Targeted Marketing:

With the right machine learning algorithms, retailers can analyze customer data and make accurate predictions  about future buying behavior. This personalized approach can increase customer satisfaction and enhance targeted marketing efforts, leading to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty. 

2. Improving Predictive Analytics and Demand Forecasting

“Generative AI can eradicate inaccuracies,” said Drayton McLane Jr, Chairman, McLane Group, in CLVG Vision Group Report June 2023, emphasizing its significance for store managers in generating precise orders and maintaining optimal stock levels. McLane also pointed out that “The weakness in ordering for convenience stores is that most orders are completed by the convenience store manager.” Those orders are based on available shelf stock. “That’s proven to be very inaccurate,” he added.

Stores are aware of their inventory and combining that information with AI can help in improving accuracy. Based on that data, AI can create the order. He strongly believes that utilizing AI in this manner has proven to be remarkably accurate and effective for various companies. Furthermore, McLane highlights the success of AI-driven inventory management solutions, stating, “It would be very hard for humans to put all those combinations in their head and process those things.”

“You want data not for one year, but maybe data for six or seven years. Convenience store demand changes instantly depending on the weather that particular day”, according to Mclane.

He added, “You need to go back six or seven years on the weather trends. And so if you’re making up an order, ultimately you’re scanning the number of items in and out, so you know how much inventory you have. Leveraging AI technology, retailers utilize this inventory data to generate orders for the following week. By considering seasonal factors, holidays, promotional items, and weather conditions, the computer can analyze this information and generate a comprehensive order”.

3. Streamlining Pricing and Dynamic Pricing Strategies:

Pricing strategies are paramount in the retail industry, and Generative AI streamlines this process by analyzing market dynamics, competitor pricing, and customer behavior.  By properly implementing the correct Generative AI tools, your business can adjust prices based on demand, inventory, and customer preferences, optimizing revenue while staying agile in a competitive market. 

4.Virtual Shopping Assistants and Chatbots:

Generative AI paves the way for developing virtual shopping assistants and chatbots that provide personalized and interactive customer support. These virtual assistants engage with customers, provide product recommendations per their preferences, answer queries, and assist in purchasing. By leveraging natural language processing and machine learning, virtual shopping assistants offer an intuitive shopping experience, reducing wait times and providing convenience. 

5.Visual Search: 

 Customers don’t always search for the right things, but Generative AI opens up exciting possibilities for visual search in the retail industry. With Generative AI, customers can upload the product they like, and AI can suggest similar products from the inventory. This enhances the shopping experience by providing a more visual way of discovering products.

6. Augmented Reality:

In retail, Generative AI combined with AR enables customers to try on virtual clothes, accessories, or makeup, providing a realistic preview of how products will look on them. Additionally, AR-powered virtual try-ons for furniture and home decor help customers visualize how items fit into their living spaces before making a purchase. By leveraging Generative AI to improve the accuracy and realism of AR experiences, retailers can create more compelling and personalized interactions, leading to higher conversion rates and stronger brand loyalty.

7. Fraud Detection and Prevention:

Fraudulent activities  have always been a problem in the retail industry. Now with Generative AI, you can analyze vast amounts of data, including transaction history, customer behavior patterns, and other external factors. This analysis can detect anomalies and patterns associated with fraudulent activities. Retailers can identify and mitigate risks, better protecting themselves and their customers from fraudulent transactions than ever capable before.

Conclusion:

Generative AI holds immense promise in transforming the retail industry. With many new apps being created so rapidly, it is important to be proactive in order to stay ahead and truly maximize this new technology for your business. By hiring the right team or partnering with the right companies, Generative AI can be a tool that thrusts you into the next era of your business. 

The post Generative AI for Retailers – Unlocking New Dimensions in Retail Tech appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

Testing also plays an integral part in validating the quality of the product as well as its speed. Currently, numerous frameworks are used to test React components, such as Jest, Enzyme and React-Testing-Library. Though the former two are well renowned among testers, React Testing Library is steadily gaining momentum, due to the various benefits it offers to the testing team, and it is this method of testing React components that we are going to discuss in detail today, to further understand its significance.

What is React Testing Library? (Click Here to Tweet)

Introduced by Kent C. Dodds, React Testing-Library is a lightweight solution for testing React components and is commonly used in tandem with Jest. React Testing Library came into being as a replacement to Enzyme and is now encouraging better testing practices, by providing light utility functions on top of react-dom and react-dom test-utils. It is an extremely beneficial testing library that enables testers to create a simple and complete test harness for React hooks as well as to easily refactor code going forward.

The main objective of this library is to provide a testing experience that is similar to natively using a particular hook from within a real component. Moreover, it enables testers to focus directly on using the library to test the components and assert the results. In short, React Testing Library guides testers to think more about React testing best practices, like selectors and accessibility rather than coding. Another reason that makes it helpful is that this library works with specific element labels of the React component and not the composition of the UI.

Want to get a better insight into the working of React Testing Library? Check out the React Testing Library examples here.

Key Points of React Testing Library:

From supporting new features of React to performing tests that are more focused on user behavior, there are numerous features of React Testing Library that make it more suitable for testing React components than others.

Some of these features are:

• It takes away excessive work required to test React components well.
• It is backed up as well as recommended by the React community.
• It is not React specific and can be used with Angular and other languages.
• It enables testers to write quality tests that ensure complete accuracy.
• Encourages applications to be more accessible.
• It offers a way to find elements by a data-testid for elements where the text content and label don’t make sense.
• Avoids testing the internal component state.
• Tests how a component renders.

The Guiding Principles of React Testing Library:

The guiding principle of this library is the more the tests resemble the way the software is used the more confidence they can give the testing team. To ensure this, the tests written in React Testing Library closely depict the way users use the application. Other guiding principles for this testing library are:

• It deals with DOM nodes rather than component instances.
• Generally useful for testing individual React components or full React applications.
• While this library is focused on react-dom, utilities are included even if they don’t directly relate to react-dom.
• Utility implementations and APIs should be simple and flexible.

Why React Testing Library is required?

React Testing Library is an extremely beneficial testing library and is needed when the team of testers wants to write maintainable tests for React components, as well as when there is a need to create a test base that functions uniformly even when refactors of the components are implemented or new changes are introduced. However, the use of the React Testing Library is not limited to this. As this library is neither a test runner or framework nor is it specific to a testing framework, it is also used in the following two circumstances:

• In cases when the tester is writing a library with one or more hooks that are not directly tied to a component.
• Or when they have a complex hook that is difficult to test through component interactions.

Tests Performed While Testing React Components:

There are various tests for your React component or React application testing that ensures that they deliver the expected performance. Among these, the following are the most crucial tests performed by the team and are hence discussed in detail:

• Unit Testing:
  An integral part of testing React components, unit testing is used to test the isolated part of the React application, usually done in combination with shallow rendering as well as functional testing React components. This is further executed with the assistance of an important technique of front-end unit testing react component, snapshot testing.
  • Snapshot Tests:Another testing technique used to test React components in React Testing Library snapshot testing, wherein the team takes a snapshot of a React component and compares it with later versions to validate that it is bug-free, runs accurately and depicts expected user experience. The main objective of Snapshot testing is to make sure the layout of the component didn’t break when a change was implemented.

    Snapshot testing is suitable for React component testing as it allows the testing team to view the DOM output and create a snapshot at the time of the run. Moreover, this testing technique is not limited to testing implementation details or React testing library hooks and is used with other testing libraries and frameworks, like Jest, as it enables testing of JavaScript objects.

• Integration Tests:
  One of the most important tests performed to test React components, Integration Testing, ensures that the composition of the React components results in the desired user experience. Since writing React apps is all about composing components, Unit Testing React with Jest alone is not suitable for ensuring that the app, as well as the components, are bug-free. Integration tests validate whether different components of the app work or integrate with each other by testing individual units by combining and grouping them.
• End-to-End Testing:
  Performed by combining testing library React and Cypress or any other library or frameworks, end-to-end testing is another important step of the testing activities. It helps ensure that the React app works accurately and delivers the necessary functionality expected by the users. This test is a multi-step that combines multiple units and integrates the tests into one huge test.

Other Important Tools & Libraries:

Though React-Testing-Library is a prominent library for testing React components, it is not the only library out there. There are various other React testing tools and libraries used by the team of testers to verify the quality and accuracy of React components. A few of these are mentioned below:

1. Jest: Adopted by large scale organizations like Uber and Airbnb, Jest is among the most popular frameworks and used by Facebook to test React components. It is also recommended by the React team, as its UI snapshot testing and complete API philosophy combines well with React.
2. Mocha: One of the most flexible Javascript testing libraries, Mocha, just like Jest and other frameworks can be combined with Enzyme and Chai for assertion, mocking, etc. when used to test React. It is extremely configurable and offers developers complete control over how they wish to test their code.
3. Chai: Another important library used for testing components, Chai is a Behavior Driven and Test Driven Development assertion library that can be paired with a JavaScript testing framework.
4. Karma: Though not a testing framework or assertion library, Karma can be used to execute JavaScript code in multiple real browsers. It is a test runner that launches an HTTP server and generates HTML files. Moreover, it helps search for test files, processes them and runs assertions.
5. Jasmine: A Behavior Driven Development (BDD) testing framework used for JavaScript tests, Jasmine, is used to test the React app or components. It does not rely on browsers, DOM, or any JavaScript framework and is traditionally used in various frameworks like Angular. That’s not all, Jasmine consists of a designated help util library that is built to make the testing workflow smoother.
6. Enzyme: One of the most common frameworks usually discussed along with React Testing Enzyme is not a testing framework, but rather a testing Utility for React that enables testers to easily test outputs of components, abstracting the rendered component. Moreover, it allows the team to manipulate, traverse, and in some cases stimulate runtime. In short, it can help the team React test render components, find elements, and interact with them.
7. React Test Utils and Test Renderer: Another collection of useful utilities in React, React test renderer is used in identifying and throwing an error using any testing library Jest Dom for example. React-test-renderer typescript enables the team to render React components into pure JavaScript objects without depending on DOM. It can support the basic functionality needed for testing React components and offers advantages that it is in the same repository as the main React package and can work with its latest versions.
8. Cypress IO: A JavaScript end-to-end testing framework, Cypress is easy to set-up, write, and debug tests in the browser. It is an extremely useful framework that enables teams to perform end-to-end React application testing, while simultaneously making the process easy. It has a built-in parallelization and load balancing, which makes debugging tests in CI easier too.

Conclusion:

Testing, be it for a React component, application or software, is crucial to validate the quality, functionality, as well as UX & UI. React Testing Library is among the various testing frameworks that are helping testers create apps that are suitable for users worldwide. From remarkable React testing library accessibility to a scalable React test environment, label text features, and more, this front-end testing framework offers a wide range of advantages, which is making it popular among testers. So, whether you are using the Jest test function or React testing library, testing React components and applications is easier with all.

Want to understand the scope of React Acceptance Testing? Click here.

The post React Testing Library Complete Guide :2023 appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

As software is an integral part of everyone’s daily tasks, attackers tend to target renowned software for data breaches, so safeguarding them is the priority of every software development team. The foremost step in protecting a program from such attacks is rigorously testing it. Penetration testing is a traditional process to diagnose any underlying security vulnerabilities in software.

Facing a cyberattack is a terrible situation, yet a lot more common than most people think. As per the 2021 Thales Data Threat Report, nearly forty-five percent of companies in the United States faced some data breach in the previous year. It is worth noting that this number exceeds those the organizations report. Several data breaches may have happened but remained unnoticed or unreported.

In the traditional process, penetration testing is mainly the task of the testing team. However, many developers tend to question whether they should care about penetration testing or not. This article will answer that question along with detailed information on penetration testing.

Penetration testing is a way of testing where the tester tries to break into the security firewalls and layers to penetrate the system, allowing them to understand any existing security vulnerability. The goal of penetration testing is to identify the weaknesses in the system that attackers can exploit. 

Once identifying the security gaps, the desired team will analyze the existing scenario and build a roadmap to resolve the issues. Such issues can occur due to human errors, design flaws, user input, improper system configurations, etc. 

Penetration testing is also a way of hacking into the system’s security, so professionals performing this testing are called ethical hackers. In most cases, these hackers have a negligible understanding of the existing security layers of the software on which they will perform testing. This is because having no prior system security information will allow them to test every aspect rigorously. 

Before moving forward on what aspects of penetration testing developers should know, it is necessary to dig into the penetration testing process. A typical pen test process involves five stages: Planning, Scanning, Accessing, Maintaining Access, and Analyzing. 

• Planning is the foremost step, where the tester defines the testing scope and attains information about the security.
• Scanning is when the tester scans the entire network to identify the software’s behavior toward specific actions or threats.
• The third step is accessing, where the tester uses several pen-testing strategies to identify software security issues.
• In the maintaining access step, the tester identifies the possibilities to gain in-depth access to the software.
• Analyzing is the final step in the process where the test result report is created. This report contains information including the exploited issues, data accesses, the time consumed to break through security, and many others.

Even though penetration testing ends at this stage, it is still necessary to fix the security vulnerabilities. This is the part where developers come into play. 

The commencement of the actual software development is done at the developer’s end. Even though the developers and testing team has one ultimatum; to release the software quicker, their thinking and methodologies vary.
Testers prioritize safety and code security while accomplishing their goals. On the other hand, the developers’ prime concern is creating and adding features to the application.

As the program should be ready as quickly as possible, secure coding is often left behind. In that case, developers leave the security for testers, especially penetration testers.

Developers may not know it, but they are introducing features to the application and bugs and issues. Common issues are fine as they require little time to remediate. However, such issues may become the entry point for the attackers to execute their plans. 

1. Aftermath of Reporting:

The penetration testing process may end with analyzing and creating a report of the identified issues. Most pen testing teams believe their job is to identify and report the issues to the development team rather than fix them, which is mostly true.

For the developers, this report is more like telling them about their poor job while building the application. The priority is to have as many functional features as possible, and most developers are excellent at their job.

For the uninitiated developers, the penetration testing report may seem like a report card with negative grades which can be highly demotivating. Such stances may not help fix the issues and can even impact the overall issue fixing and building of apps in the future. 

Experienced developers know that pen testing is focused on the security of the application rather than functionality, while development is its obverse. Developers understand their goal is to create stable and feature-rich software, leaving security to the other teams. 

Once the development is complete, it is sent for testing. While the software is tested, the developers may move toward other projects. Sometimes, the report may include issues they cannot fix, which can be a problem for the developers. 

2.Issue with Scanners:

Using static analysis scanning tools (SAST) is the primary action in testing the application’s security. Though they are mostly accurate in finding issues, there are stances of false reporting. Reporting issues that do not even exist will consume more time and effort.

Testing is a sluggish process, and false positives may require manual code review, requiring even more time to complete. 

Testers follow specific custom rules depending on the project to ensure that the pen testing report is free from any false positives. Even after all the efforts, false positives can still slide into the final report, which may become additional work for the developer to fix.

3.Developer’s Philosophy about Pen Testers:

Often when a pen testing report is handed to the development team, they believe they are criticizing their development work. Furthermore, they can also think that pen testers may be mad at their unsafe coding practices.

Sometimes, the team may also think that testers are over-testing the application or nitpicking the issues to create additional work for the developers.

The reality of pen testing teams is that neither they are nitpickers nor want to criticize the development team\’s work. They are here to do their job: test prioritized areas. These areas are decided either by the entire team or by senior leaders. 

With that in mind, instead of thinking about the former, the development teams should focus on fixing the issues, even if any other team caused it, so the software can be pushed to release quickly. 

Without a doubt, penetration testing is the developer’s job, but they are the ones causing the issues in the first place. Considering that fact, taking certain measures by the developers to help penetration testing can be the right way. Here are the best practices that developers should follow.

1. Remain on the Same Page as Testing Team:

Many developments and penetration testing teams think they should focus on their individual priorities, adding features and security. This approach will not help them in penetration testing or issue fixing. Instead, both teams should remain on the same page while working so that development, testing, and issue fixing can be done smoothly.

2. Implement Security Practices:

While building software, developers tend to ignore certain security practices to build software quickly. Due to this, the testing team may find some common issues. Fixing such issues is easy, but they consume additional time and effort. With that in mind, ignoring security practices initially will require more time. The best practice here is to implement some security in the development process, like using secure code, reviewing code in every development phase, having a secure development policy, and following the right SOPs.

3. Think Security from the Beginning:

Developers may think that security is not their task, but it makes the job of other teams easier. One of the best practices that developers can adopt while building an application is to think about security from the beginning. The key is integrating security into every development phase to get embedded in the development culture.  

4. Collaboration:

Secure software is only possible when different teams come together and accomplish their tasks. When it comes to assisting in penetration testing, the development managers, penetration testers, and security professionals should collaborate to ensure that they focus on building secure software. Furthermore, the seniors should mentor the teams regarding the right practices and tools so that they can integrate security into the development process.  

As a significant testing type, organizations should focus on penetration testing. Having professional assistance will allow organizations to enhance security.

If you want the most reliable penetration testing service, you can always trust ThinkSys Inc. We have a dedicated team of skilled professionals who can implement the right practices for the best pen testing. 

Our team will evaluate the program for any existing vulnerabilities and loopholes. Furthermore, a detailed report will be created to make issue-fixing easier. With our penetration testing, you are sure to keep your data secure. 

Penetration testing is crucial for preventing security breaches after its release. Once testing is done, the development team spends additional time fixing the vulnerabilities so that the software can become secure.
Knowing about penetration testing allows a developer to think about it while developing.

Once they know this testing, they can use the right practices so that the software can remain secure from the beginning and fewer issues can be reported after penetration testing. 

There is no denying that developers and penetration testers always remain on the same track. However, when the organization prioritizes enhancing security, they should come together and use their gained skills and knowledge to create a secure development culture. 

The post The Importance of Penetration Testing for Developers appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

Legacy application or legacy technology refers to applications, platforms, hardware setups, programming languages, and other technologies that are no longer useful as newer options have replaced them. The reasons for turning a well-functioning software into an obsolete technology could be many, including:

• No maintenance from developers.
• No technical support is available for the users.
• Not compatible with the current versions.
• No more patches are available.

An application’s becoming a legacy is a gradual process. Unfortunately, businesses suffer because of legacy applications as it creates complications for the IT operations teams that support them.

Generally, a legacy app is frequently tied to a specific version of an OS or coding language. For instance, an application that runs on Windows 7 may not run on Windows 10, despite using many advanced methods. Plus, the older application requires more effort to arrange support for it.

Even if the legacy application poses multiple problems to the businesses, they still can’t replace it with a new one instantly. Replacing or upgrading may be expensive, and the company may lose vital data as well. That’s why they continue to use the legacy application.

But there are ways available to modernize legacy applications. So before we read about ways to update legacy applications, let”s understand more about legacy modernization.

Even after being outdated, some organizations continue to use legacy apps for specific functionalities.

Here are the top examples of legacy apps that you can find:

• No Update Available: Applications that offer no new version or updates are categorized as no update available. Due to no new feature, users may have to shift to alternatives. 
  
• End of Life (EOL): Legacy apps are often based on technologies, programming languages, and frameworks. Apps or technologies used in those apps that have surpassed their useful age lead to vendor discontinuation, and hence they reach EOL.
  
• Mainframe Applications: These apps handled herculean data processing and were developed and deployed on mainframe computers. Industries such as banking and finance use such apps, mostly on proprietary OS.

Legacy modernization helps you transform a legacy system into a modern infrastructure to reduce IT costs, improve flexibility, collaboration, and consistency. It’s like a software update. Once the legacy application is transformed, it gets the dual strength of a robust application combined with old business applications to face modern-day challenges. As a result, legacy modernization helps an organization reduce its business operating costs and increase revenue.

Even if legacy application modernization helps in many ways, companies like to continue with the legacy application, impacting their workflow and revenue. Plus, clinging on to the old systems restrains them from having a competitive advantage.

• Serverless: Using this approach, the organization can shift operational responsibilities to the cloud without relying on a server, increasing agility and innovation. Plus, you won’t need to do management tasks such as server or cluster provisioning, patching, operating system maintenance, and capacity provisioning to build and run applications.
  
  Serverless architecture allows you to concentrate on your products rather than worrying about operating and managing servers all the time. Not only does it reduce overheads, but it also saves developers time and energy.

• Containers: This technology uses a standard way to package and deploy your application\’s code, configurations, and dependencies into a single object. This way, your software runs well when moved from one computing environment to another.
  
  Commonly, containers are used to build and deploy microservices, run batch jobs for machine learning applications, and move existing applications into the cloud.
  

• Cloud-Native Replatforming: This approach consists of moving applications to the cloud by replacing some components. The application goes through some common modifications, such as enabling interaction with the database to benefit from automation or ensuring better scaling and utilizing reserved resources in the cloud environment.
  
  This approach allows developers to reuse the resources they are comfortable working with, such as development frameworks or legacy programming languages.

• Cost Reduction: Moving from local on-premise data centers to cloud-based solutions helps you cut down on the cost associated with data center utilities. When cloud-based data solutions offer more scalable and manageable services at affordable rates, you don’t need to spend building or managing your resources.
  
  Even if you encounter a bug, diagnosing it on the cloud platform is relatively easy compared to on-premise servers. Since modern systems are accessible to new possibilities, you can even re-architect your legacy application with an open-source programming language. Plus, you can automate some processes as well.

• Improved Business Agility: With modernized applications, companies can efficiently serve their customers and vendors. Companies that work on legacy systems find it very hard to develop new products or features. Contrary, modernized applications ease future planning about designing new features and services.
  
  Further, modernization application ensures better code, well-managed databases, and highly flexible applications. If your employees want to work from any part of the world, the modernized application can make it possible.

• Enhanced Team Productivity & Performance: The immediate effect you will see after modernizing legacy applications is improved team productivity. Since developers get access to better development tools and sophisticated cloud technology, it reduces efforts and enhances efficiency.
  
  Besides this, by modernizing legacy systems, you can serve various needs of the different departments at a single time. It brings flexibility to manage resources and achieve optimum results.

• Improved Compliance and Customer Support: Non-compliance issues cost IT companies severely, as managing and updating the logs and reports becomes a big headache with paper-based legacy applications. On the other hand, modernized systems help you update records and information from anywhere, at any time.
  
  Plus, it offers you feature like real-time data entry, increased security to advanced encryption, improved project tracking, all contribute to easy compliance, better customer support, and reduced risk.

• Better Security: Reports suggest that outdated systems are highly vulnerable to malware attacks and data breaches. Plus, the situations get even worse in the absence of support from vendors, making it a soft target to such attacks.
  
  Since the system is outdated, you can’t rely on it even if it seemed super secure five or ten years ago. Once you modernize the legacy system, it provides better security and protection for your critical business transactions.

ThinkSys offers range of legacy application services that will take your app to the next level. From modernization to migration, our tailored solutions can revitalize your legacy applications. 

Legacy applications are the most difficult things to handle in an IT organization. Since businesses can’t replace them at will, they prefer to persist with such systems.

Unfortunately, problems like security breaches, downtime, and poor customer support also impact business in other ways unless you transform the legacy application on time.

Today, different ways can help you modernize your legacy application. So it’s better to use advanced forms instead of using outdated methods.

The post Unlock the Potential of Your Legacy Application with our Expert Solutions appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

The Rise of Cloud Computing in Retail

Retailers embracing cloud computing have triggered a seismic shift in the industry. This shift is primarily driven by the increasing digitization of retail operations, including online transactions and e-commerce platforms.

Additionally, the rise of Omni-channel retailing, where consumers expect seamless experiences across different channels, necessitates real-time data synchronization. Cloud computing serves as the backbone for this synchronization, offering a cohesive customer experience.

Cloud computing offers several benefits for the retail industry:

• Scalability: During events like flash sales, retailers often experience a sudden surge in online shoppers. Cloud computing allows them to scale their IT resources up or down effortlessly to meet the demand.
  
  This ensures that their systems can handle the increased traffic without performance issues. Once the demand subsides, they can scale down the resources to optimize costs.
  
• Cost-Effectiveness: Traditionally, retailers had to make significant upfront investments in building and maintaining their IT infrastructure. With cloud computing, they only pay for the resources they use, which helps optimize their budget.
  
  This cost-effectiveness allows retailers to allocate their funds more efficiently and invest in other business areas, facilitating growth.
  
• Real-Time Data Analysis: The retail industry generates a vast amount of data from various sources, such as customer interactions, inventory management, sales transactions, and customer data. Cloud computing enables retailers to manage and store this data in real-time.
  
  By utilizing cloud-based analytics tools, retailers can gain valuable insights into market trends and customer preferences and optimize their operations accordingly.
  
• Enhanced Innovation: Cloud computing provides retailers with a wide range of infrastructure and development platforms to experiment, innovate, and quickly bring new products to market.
  
  The flexibility and scalability of cloud services allow retailers to rapidly prototype and test new ideas without investing in additional hardware or infrastructure. This promotes innovation and agility in the retail industry.
  
• Data Security: Security is a major concern in the retail industry due to the sensitive customer and financial data involved. Cloud service providers invest heavily in security measures and implement best practices to protect data stored in the cloud.
  
  These measures include access controls, data encryption, and disaster recovery mechanisms. By leveraging the expertise and resources of cloud service providers, retailers can enhance their data security and minimize the risk of data loss or breaches.

Key Cloud Computing Challenges in Retail Industry

Cloud computing in retail brings both benefits and challenges. Here are the key cloud challenges to faced by retail industry.

1.Data Security and Privacy:

Data security is paramount in the retail industry to protect customer information, business data, payment details, and other sensitive data. Any breach can result in severe consequences, including financial loss, damage to reputation, and legal complexities. Therefore, safeguarding data from unauthorized access is imperative.

Retailers encounter various challenges while implementing data security and privacy measures. These challenges include data encryption, secure access controls, regulatory compliance, and vulnerability management.

Additionally, carefully considering a service provider that diligently implements necessary security practices and threat detection systems requires careful consideration.

2.Integration with Existing Systems:

Seamless integration of cloud computing with the existing IT infrastructure is crucial to ensure data synchronization, enhance customer experience, and facilitate smooth operations.

By integrating cloud computing with their established systems, retailers can leverage the combined benefits for improved performance.

Integrating existing systems can be intricate, particularly when dealing with complex data structures, legacy systems, and multiple applications. Furthermore, migrating and synchronizing data across diverse approaches can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

3.Compliance and Regulatory Issues:

The retail industry operates under many regulations governing security, data privacy, and overall functioning. These regulations may vary across regions and industries. However, complying with these mandates is vital for retailers to maintain trust and navigate legal complexities.

Retailers may need to make specific changes in their operations, implement necessary security and data protection measures, and ensure that their cloud computing practices align with the regulatory requirements to achieve compliance.

4.Vendor Lock-in and Portability:

Some cloud service providers impose vendor lock-in, hindering retailers from switching to alternative providers or bringing services in-house. Such lock-in arrangements may introduce limitations in terms of flexibility, scalability, cost, and future technology preferences.

Furthermore, ensuring data and application portability between different cloud providers requires significant effort. Challenges arise due to disparities in migration tools, data formats, and APIs, which can pose substantial obstacles when transferring data from one provider to another.

5.Managing and Analysing Big Data:

Retailers handle substantial data volumes, including sales transactions, customer interactions, buyer contact information, and social media data. Analysing this data provides valuable insights into marketing strategies and customer experiences.

However, managing such large amounts of data necessitates robust infrastructure and effective data management strategies. Common challenges in analysing big data within cloud computing include data quality, data ingestion, storage, and analytical capabilities.

6.Cost Management and Optimization:

While cloud computing is known for cost-effectiveness, proactive monitoring, and controlling expenses are essential for retailers. Unoptimized resource usage, unforeseen cost spikes, and underutilized instances can adversely affect revenue.

To mitigate these challenges, retailers should appropriately size their cloud resources based on workload. This involves continuously monitoring resource utilization, identifying underutilized resources, and making necessary modifications to reduce costs.

Additionally, retailers can implement various strategies such as optimizing storage costs through data lifecycle management, monitoring and optimizing network traffic, utilizing cloud cost management tools, optimizing resource allocation, and implementing auto-scaling for efficient resource utilization. Employing these strategies can significantly reduce cloud expenses without compromising performance.

Conclusion

Cloud computing has several benefits and challenges that retailers must understand to get the best out of it. Data security, integration with existing systems, compliance issues, vendor lock-in, and managing big data are the commonest yet significant challenges retailers face while using cloud computing.

You can tackle these challenges with practices like data encryption, testing integration in a controlled environment, staying updated with the retail industry compliances, and using multiple clouds. 

With its immense benefits, cloud technology will continue to play a vital role in allowing retailers to achieve scalability, flexibility, and innovation.

With new advancements in cloud services, retailers can expect better data security, streamlined compliance processes, better integration, advanced tools for big data management, and seamless portability in the future.

The future holds great promise for retail cloud computing, and retailers should embrace this technology to remain competitive.

The post Cloud Computing Challenges in the Retail Industry appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

What is Cloud Native Security?

Cloud native security is the practice and steps to ensure security is considered and implemented throughout the entire cloud-native application lifecycle. This integration includes modifying teams, processes, and infrastructure for building applications. Cloud native security aims to identify and eradicate vulnerabilities in the existing cloud environment. 

Four C’s of Cloud Native Security

There are four layers in cloud native security, each building on the next layer. These layers are cloud, cluster, container, and code, and they are often considered the four C’s of cloud native security. 

• Cloud: In many cases, the cloud is the computational base of a cluster, and keeping it secure is essential for cloud-native security. Poor security practices in this base can compromise the security of any other component built on top of it. Considering that fact, many cloud providers recommend certain security practices that users should consider.
  

• Clusters: The cluster layer contains components, including the control plane, master nodes, services, and policies. Securing the workload comes under this layer, where the communication remains encrypted, and authentication requires TLS certificates. However, focusing on specific security areas is done based on the program’s attack surface. These areas of concern include:
  • RBAC authorization.
  • Quality of service.
  • Network policies.
  • TLS secure keys.
  • Cluster resource management.
    

• Container: Containers are small packages of code to run applications quickly. In the container layer, you can find container images that can be the leading cause of vulnerabilities like image security in the container. Apart from that, poor privilege configurations and usage of unknown sources also reduce container security. Rather than eradicating them, such issues are often overlooked by organizations.
  
  To enhance container security, the foremost step should be timely updating the containers. Scanning the applications running in the containers is also a major security action. If you intend to use an image, make sure that it comes from a reliable source, or it can compromise the container security. 
  

• Code: The code layer offers the most security control in cloud-native security applications. Issues like insecure code, issues in third-party software dependencies, poor risk assessment, and many others exist in the code layer. Being a significant layer in cloud-native applications, it is one of the top attack surfaces. 
  
  Using a static code analysis tool seems efficient for ensuring safe coding practices. However, these tools may overlook vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies. Using a software composition analysis tool can help you find issues in all such dependencies.

Types of Cloud Native Security

Cloud native security is of different types, but the core motive is to protect cloud-native applications. The following are the types of cloud-native security solutions available. 

• Network Security: Cloud-native ecosystems utilize several networks. Network security focuses on avoiding attacks from outside the network by separating one network from the other. Furthermore, granting or denial of access falls under network security. 
  
• Data Encryption: To avoid data leakage from the organization, the organizational data should be encrypted, including the data in transit and at rest. However, a single encryption algorithm should not be used as it can cause major vulnerabilities regarding data security. Instead, various algorithms should be deployed for utmost security.
  
• Disaster Recovery Policy: Disasters like floods and earthquakes are unpredictable and can damage the hardware. Though disasters are inevitable, organizations can prepare for such calamities. Organizations should have a disaster recovery policy to ensure minimal damage from disasters.
  
• Security Scans: Security vulnerabilities can seep in when security practices are overlooked. Frequent security scans ensure that security vulnerabilities are identified before they cause any major tussle. Both commercial and open-source tools can be used for such scans. 

What are Existing Threats to Cloud Native Applications?

The implementation of cloud native security is to enhance the overall security of applications and protect them from threats. However, the best security practices can only be applied when professionals know the threats they can face. With that in mind, here are the biggest threats to cloud-native applications.

1. Data Privacy:

Cloud-native applications run on the cloud. Cloud service providers have admin access to the services they provide. In other words, they can access the data without notifying the client. This issue makes data privacy and protection a tussle for the user in cloud-native environments. Cloud-native security practices like monitoring logs, limited data transfer authorization, and frequent database auditing can help fix data privacy issues. 

2. Unauthorized Access:

Cloud-native applications may have unsecured APIs which can be accessed through a public domain. When left unchecked, they can be the leading cause of unauthorized access to application data. With cloud-native security, users can implement additional security features to prevent unwanted users from accessing sensitive data. 

3. Improper Configuration:

One of the leading causes of server breaches is using default configuration during or after application deployment. Many applications come with such configurations, and attackers are also aware of them. To gain access to the server, they can exploit these settings to break through security layers. 

Cloud infrastructure may be shared by several applications simultaneously. If an attacker successfully enters one application, it becomes easier for them to access data of other applications on the same server.  

Cloud Native Security Principles

Cloud native security is based on three principles targeted toward cloud deployment safety. The essence of these principles is that the higher time you let the attack stay in, the higher the severity of damage will become. Rather than waiting, this implies taking action quickly. These principles are also recognized as the 3 R’s of cloud security, explained below.

1. Rotate:

Credentials are the only way to a severe attack on the cloud. Changing them after a few hours or minutes is not feasible for the personnel. The solution is to rotate the data center’s credentials every few minutes. Automated services, individuals, or any other credentials should be rotated for cloud-native security. Though rotation prevents credential leakage, it makes the process tedious for attackers. 

2. Repave:

The software requires patching to resolve an issue or implement better security. Rather than patching the software, repave guides the user to repair the stack by eradicating old virtual machines and containers and rebuilding them. However, servers and applications in the data center should be rebuilt using a secure state.

3. Repair:

Repave is implemented to fix vulnerable components of the software. However, securing the software from vulnerabilities should be the priority to make the system more secure. Post finding a vulnerability, the program and system should be repaired on priority to diminish the attack area and prevent vulnerability exploitation.  

Cloud Native Security Controls

Cloud native security controls are of different types, which help enhance the overall security of the applications. These security controls are divided into several categories that are explained below:

1. Preventive Controls:

As the name suggests, these cloud-native security controls help prevent application attacks. These preventive controls include security software, preventive policies, and automated scripts. They work by securing the network access control while reducing the attack surface area. 

2. Workload Controls:

Workload controls handle the secure libraries, repositories, container images, and approved packages in the cloud-native environment. In addition, the data is tracked continuously with each update. Each version should be controlled separately if the workload is distributed across several clients. 

3. Deterrent Controls:

Vulnerabilities do not arise on their own, rather, they are repercussions of an action by the user. Deterrent controls notify the users of their actions that cause any malicious activity or vulnerability in the application. Not only do they alert the user, but such controls help block such attacks so that the user may not move forward with such actions, eradicating the possibility of unintentional compromise of cloud-native applications’ security.

4. Detective Controls:

Detective controls aim to identify any unusual behavior in the application’s components for any security vulnerability. Procedures, software, detection systems, and policies are included in detective controls. Furthermore, these controls monitor the open ports, applications, and servers\’ behavior. 

5. Corrective Controls:

Security breaches are the primary step in accessing application data. Corrective controls are activated whenever there is a security breach where they blacklist the compromised IP address or block ports through which the attack came. 

Strategies for Cloud Native Security

Rather than randomly implementing cloud native security, organizations follow specific strategies to ensure effective security. The following are the best and most commonly used strategies for cloud-native security. 

1. Collaborative Work in Security

Cloud native security is a comprehensive approach that requires a cultural shift that includes managing the security and development team. Collaboration between these two teams is essential for integrating security into the process. 

Even though the developer’s primary focus is to build a functional application, they should work with security teams to learn basic security concepts. Similarly, security teams should follow the same approach and understand the processes and tools of development. 

With this approach, the security teams can test, develop, and deploy applications securely while the developers can integrate security practices while developing to ensure better security in the application. 

2. Multi-Layered Security

Several breaches occur via different layers in the network. The multi-layered security approach utilizes network monitoring to identify and fix threats. Monitoring every network layer should be the goal of every security team. Security teams can use different tools to prevent attacks and create plans for any successful security breach. 

3. Shift Left Approach

One of the best ways to enhance the security of an application is through the shift left approach. In this approach, the development teams should focus on using security practices in the early development stages and ensure the code is safe before being sent to production. Adapting to this approach is made easier by using the latest security tools that can cope with cloud-native application development\’s rising speed and scalability. 

Organizations use serverless functions to make the development process easier and faster. Though they help in accomplishing their goals, the downside of such features is that they have security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Cloud-native security strategy also includes avoiding serverless features as much as possible to prevent attacks. 

4. Secure Dependency

Open-source dependencies are often found in application code repositories. Automated tools that use comprehensive vulnerability databases can be used to safeguard application dependencies. Maintaining security during development can be done using a cloud-native orchestration tool. Preventing vulnerable dependency packages into a container into production using the same tools continuously. 

Cloud Native Security Services by ThinkSys

Handling cloud native security by yourself can take time and effort. Let the professionals at ThinkSys help you with our proficient cloud-native security services. Our end-to-end cloud-native security service can enhance the existing cloud-native environment for better security and protection against cyberattacks. ThinkSys is proficient in delivering IaaS, CaaS, SaaS, and PaaS services. 

ThinkSys follows a reliable approach where our professionals integrate security and practices in the development phase rather than leaving it for the QA stage. This approach ensures a higher success rate, reduced cyberattacks, and better issues identification and remediation. Here are the different ways and approaches we can help your cloud native application security.

• Container scanning.
• Secure cloud migration.
• Threat management.
• Identity and Access Management.
• Vulnerability assessment.
• Usage of leading tools.
• In-depth reports on vulnerability.

FAQ

The post Boost Your Cloud Native Security: Expert Insights appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

What is Secure Coding?

Whether adding security features or making way for security vulnerabilities, it is the coding stage where everything is added. Rather than adding security, poor coding practices make the program vulnerable to such attacks. Secure coding is an assortment of practices that help identify and eradicate code vulnerabilities that can compromise software security. With secure coding, it becomes complex for the attackers to breach the security layer and cause harm to the software or data.  

Secure coding surely enhances software protection from attackers. Still, it cannot be the sole barrier between the program and the attacker. Understanding that the software can only be protected with a collection of security layers and practices and not just by secure coding is pivotal. However, it is worth noting that it is the foremost step in accomplishing the goal of protected software. 

Benefits of Secure Coding

As the name defines, the benefit of secure coding is to protect software from malicious attacks, but that is not it. Such practices are used due to several other benefits, which are elaborated on below.

1. Eradication of Coding Errors:

Having an erroneous code is a common mistake committed by developers unintentionally. Though the mistake is small, the repercussions can result in exploitation by an attacker. Actions like buffer overflow, wrong format strings, and SQL injections can be committed. With secure coding, the developer tends to review the code, allowing them to rectify any error within the code, removing the possibility of common attacks. 

2. Coding Standards:

Secure coding involves the developer following a set of guidelines and standards. These standards give them a clear path to what they want to achieve. However, if secure coding is not followed, the developers only have one goal; to build the software quickly. On the other hand, with secure coding in place, their goal shifts to building ‘secure software.’ In simpler terms, secure coding standards provide developers with the roadmap they should follow to build safe software. 

3. Faster Deployment:

Software development is comparable to a race where faster deployments result in a better outcome. Without secure coding, the security team has to put in additional efforts post-development, resulting in more time consumption. One of the core elements of secure coding is implementing security practices in the development stage. With security in mind, while developing, the security testing teams must spend less time on their work. 

Furthermore, common bugs can be identified and fixed in the development stage rather than testing. All these factors shorten the software development lifecycle (SDLC), resulting in faster yet more secure deployments. 

Security Vulnerabilities that Can be Identified with Secure Coding

With secure coding, developers can prevent malicious attacks by fixing the code and removing vulnerabilities. Below are the commonest security vulnerabilities found in the code that would otherwise remain if secure coding is not implemented while writing the code. 

• Buffer Overflow: Sometimes, developers under allocate the memory reserves necessary for the optimum functioning of the software. Under allocation results in the leakage of confidential data on memory stacks, resulting in a major security vulnerability. The hacker can access and rewrite the exposed data, allowing them to control the software. C++ and C are the most susceptible to buffer overflow attacks among many. 

• Code Injection: Code injection attacks are among the most common attacks. Unlike many others, these attacks are not common in any specific language. Rather, popular languages like Ruby, SQL, Python, PHP, C++, and Java can become victims of such attacks if secure coding is not implemented. In such attacks, the attacker submits a code into the app, which influences the desired function and makes it perform as desired. 
  
  One common type of code injection is SQL injection, where the attacker can access a website’s database. With such an attack, the attacker can access sensitive data, including personal contact details, email addresses, and bank details.

• Open Source Programs: Every developer loves to use open-source tools and programs for development. Organizations with a tight budget also prefer using such programs as they are free. However, open-source programs’ code is public and comes with several security gaps. Attackers are aware of such gaps, which they tend to abuse to gain access to users’ data. 
  
  Even though open-source software has a vast community meant to help users, hackers often become members of the same community to attain in-depth information about the software and its vulnerabilities. Due to this, open-source programs not only come with security flaws but are also the primary target of most hackers. 
  

• Leaked Access Keys: To access and manage cloud resources, secret programmatic keys are essential to access identity and access management roles that permit them to be used in cloud resources. Essentially, these keys should be encrypted so that no other entity can use them. However, developers may embed these into var files or local stores. When the desired repo is public, it becomes a security vulnerability as anyone can access and use it.  

Secure Coding Best Practices: Protect Your Software

Secure coding is all about using the right practices while writing the code to protect the developed program. The following section will explain some of the best secure coding practices.

1. Authentication:

One of the commonest ways of data theft is giving access to entire data to everybody. One of the best practices in secure coding is giving access to only authorized users and only to essential data, which is necessary to perform. In addition to that, you need to promote strong passwords and a reliable password management system. 

2. Scanning and Code Review:

Attacks like SQL injection and XSS abuse security vulnerabilities within the code where the code fails to differentiate between command and data. Through this attack, the hacker tries to access confidential data. Using automatic scanning tools can help identify any underlying common security vulnerability in the code that could otherwise remain unnoticed.

The code can further be made more secure by adding manual code reviews. Frequently renewing the code will allow you to fix any security issue in the code that may have slipped by the tool. 

3. Take Caution While Using Open-Source Components:

Open-source components are free to use and add several program features. Even though legions of organizations use such components, they are also the reason for multiple malicious attacks on their software. Many open-source components have known security issues that attackers exploit. 

To ensure that your software remains secure, check whether the component you intend to use has any known vulnerability. In addition, monitor the component for any new security flaws frequently.

4. Obfuscation and Minification:

The code may be written in a human-readable language so developers can understand it easily. However, it makes it easier to read for the attackers as well. Obfuscation is a technique of making the existing code complex to understand. 

Another practice is Minification, where the developers eradicate line breaks and white spaces from the code. Though minification aimed to improve the performance, it made it harder to read, preventing several attacks. 

5. Managing Errors:

No matter how skilled a developer is, they are bound to face several errors while coding. The right secure coding practice is to identify and fix the error as soon as it is noticed. Event logging helps identify issues accurately, as developers can access these logs to detect flaws. However, it is worth noting that these logs should not have confidential data, or anyone else can access them.

6. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST):

Once the software is developed, the desired team should mimic several cyber-attack scenarios the program may witness after release. This testing, also called DAST, helps identify the software’s resilience. Successful completion of DAST will provide you with any existing security vulnerability in the code, making it a vital secure coding practice. 

7. Follow the Guidelines of Security Standards:

Many organizations have set security guidelines to prevent cyberattacks. Security standards like OWASP, CWE, and NVD have set specific guidelines to ensure that the software remains secure from any attack. For better security, knowing and following the guidelines should be included in secure coding. 

Security Standards: What Are Secure Coding Standards?

Currently, Many security standards provide guidelines and information on preventing cyberattacks and making software more secure. Here are the top standards that you should know about. 

1. Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP): OWASP is a non-profit entity that offers free application testing resources. It is far-famed for its top ten web application security risks, which are updated frequently, informing developers of every common attack. Their web security testing guide is also updated constantly so that they can integrate it during the development process for secure coding.
2. National Vulnerability Database: NVD is maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is an initiative by the US government to identify data vulnerabilities. It allows the team to know essential information like impact ratings, severity scores, and how to fix vulnerabilities.
3. Common Weakness Enumeration: The CWE is a renowned system that lists all the major hardware and software security weaknesses in the most commonly used languages, including C++, Java, and C. The CWE list is prepared through constant research and user feedback, allowing it to identify the most catastrophic security vulnerabilities.
4. DISA STIG: Though it is specific for applications deploying on the Department of Defense (DoD), it still helps in-house and third-party applications in development and evaluation. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) offers different Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIG) that help implement secure practices on the applications deploying on DoD.
5. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT): Operated by the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, CERT is a global network of cybersecurity experts. The focus involves vulnerability analysis, incident response, and developing best practices to boost cybersecurity. Collaborating with organizations worldwide, CERT provides resources, expertise, and guidance to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents effectively.
6. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE): Launched in 1999 by the MITRE corporation, CVE is a list of publicly disclosed information on security vulnerabilities and exposures. It is a free dictionary available to organizations with a motive to share information about far-famed vulnerabilities easily. By assigning a standardized identifier to every vulnerability, it makes information sharing among organizations easier.
7. Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS): PA-DSS, created by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), is a global security standard that outlines security requirements for payment application software involved in card transaction processing. This security standard aims to prevent payment applications developed for third parties from storing a card’s sensitive information. To stay compliant with this standard, the vendor should meet the fourteen protections set by PA-DSS.

ThinkSys: Your Trusted Partner for Secure Coding Success!

At ThinkSys, we follow the best secure coding practices, ensuring that your created program never compromises security. 

• Add security during the development phase.
• Use leading secure coding practices for a better outcome.
• Follow the set guidelines and practices by leading compliance.
• Using the best tools for finding vulnerabilities in the code.
• Identify security vulnerabilities through constant code review.
• Fixing issues as soon as they are identified.

Frequently Asked Questions:

The post The Importance of Secure Coding: Ensuring Data Security appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

This image can be pushed to a container registry which is used by Kubernetes to deploy containers in a cluster pod. Docker is one of the most renowned choices of container runtimes for Kubernetes where images can be created through Dockerfile. Furthermore, it contains all the necessary commands in the correct order of execution for building an image in Kubernetes. In this article, you will get to know about building Docker image in Kubernetes, and the most suitable tools to accomplish this task.

What is a Docker Image?

Docker is a platform used for creating, running, and deploying applications in a container. A Docker container file comes with the right instructions that can help in building a Docker container and can be used in executing the code in the container. In addition, it includes tools, code, libraries, and dependencies, among other necessary files. 

One of the foremost perks of using a Docker file is the reduction in disk usage due to its multi-layer nature where each layer originates from the previous layer but has certain differences. Initially, these layers are read-only files, but a writable layer is added on top of unchangeable images after creating a container.

Working of Image Building in Docker

Before you move forward, it is essential to understand how image building works in Docker. Initially, in the FROM directive of the Dockerfile, the Docker will start a container with the base image. Now, Docker will implement all the commands inside the Dockerfile and take a snapshot. This snapshot of the container is called the Docker image. The entire process is followed by Docker to attain this Docker image. However, this is not the only way to get the image. Several tools can be used to get the same image but through different implementations.  

Top Tools for Building Docker Image in Kubernetes

Building Docker image in Kubernetes requires the execution of several actions and commands which can only be made easier through the right tools. Moreover, tools help in ensuring that the infrastructure of the application remains secure and uncompromised. Here are the tools that you for building Docker image in Kubernetes. 

1. Kaniko

Kaniko is among the most widely used tools for building Docker images in the Kubernetes cluster. Rather than relying on the Docker daemon for executing this task, this tool executes the command within a Dockerfile. In addition to Kubernetes, this tool is capable of working with Google Container Builder as well.

There are three arguments included in the image-building process; Dockerfile, build context, and the registry name. Using these three arguments, Kaniko can build a Docker image from scratch.

2.Buildah

Buildah is used to build Open Container Initiative images where it imitates commands of Dockerfile. With this tool, you can create an image, or container, mount and unmount the root filesystem on a container, delete an image or container or rename a container. This tool does not require Dockerfile or root privileges to build images. 

3. Docker in Docker

Not exactly a tool but a methodology to run Docker within the Docker to build images in a Kubernetes cluster. Here you can build a Docker container in Kubernetes through mounting /var/run/docker.sock file. One major benefit of this method is that it will have all the required Docker tools to complete the job. 

4. Sysbox

Developed by Nestybox, Sysbox is an open-source container runtime tool that is currently managed by Docker. With this tool, you can allow containers to run the same workloads as virtual machines. Sysbox will help you in locking the initial mount of a container, virtualization of syfs and procfs inside a container, and hiding the information of the host inside the container. 

5. img

Akin to Kaniko, img is also an Open Container Initiative and daemon-less image building tool. It uses BuildKit’s (another container image building tool) DAG solver as its image builder due to which it can execute several build stages at the same time efficiently. 

Building Docker Images in Kubernetes

Lets explore different ways of building docker images in Kubernetes. Though there are different ways of doing so, your priority is to determine the most suitable one for yourself. Below are the ways of building docker image in Kubernetes.

1. Kaniko

As stated earlier, Kanioko is a renowned tool for building Docker images where it builds container images from a Dockerfile within a Kubernetes cluster. You can build images in all such environments where running a Docker daemon is complicated or unsecured. 

To build images through Kaniko, you need to install Docker Desktop and enable Kubernetes in your system. Furthermore, you need a GitHub account to access Dockerfile and a Docker hub account. The following is the command code for building Docker images in Kubernetes using Kaniko.

How Kaniko Works?

Being an open-source image building tool, the functioning of Kaniko is uncomplicated and highly elaborated. The following is the process followed by Kaniko to build Docker images.

• This tool comes with a specific Kaniko image executer which is responsible for building container images. 
• Dockerfile, build context, and a remote Docker registry are the three arguments accepted by this tool.
• Once the image is deployed, the tool reads the Dockerfile. Afterward, it uses the FROM instruction to extract the base image file system.
• After that, Kaniko implements the instructions from the Dockerfile and snapshots of the same in the userspace. 
• After taking the snapshot, it updates the metadata of the changed image layers in the Dockerfile.
• Once all the necessary actions are done, Kaniko will push the image to the desired registry.

2. Docker in Docker

Docker in Docker is one of the commonest methods for building Docker images in Kubernetes in CI/CD pipelines. Here, a Docker container runs its specific Docker daemon which makes it uncomplicated to set up. Being easy to set up surely makes it popular, but it comes with a few security complications. 

Initially, Docker created containers so that they can function in privileged mode through this method where the container will run as root on the host. Any person with access to the Docker socket will automatically have access to create new users, run software, and access anything they want within the container, reducing the overall security of the architecture.

On the other hand, this process is uncomplicated and can be used to accelerate internal processes. The following is the YAML for Docker in Docker. After you launch the pod, my-container can access the Docker daemon in the container. 

 containers:

  – name: my-main-container

    # …

    # other container config here

    # …

    env:

    – name: DOCKER_HOST

      value: tcp://localhost:2375

  – name: dind

    image: docker:18.05-dind

    securityContext:

      privileged: true

    volumeMounts:

      – name: dind-storage

        mountPath: /var/lib/docker

volumes:

  – name: dind-storage

    emptyDir: {}

3. Docker Out of Docker

Another method of building images in the Kubernetes cluster is Docker out of Docker where the Docker inside the container will be connected to the Docker daemon used by the Kubernetes cluster. Among all the methods, the Docker out of Docker is the easiest to set up. However, as containers should run as privileged, it could potentially cause a security hazard. Furthermore, it also breaks Kubernetes scheduling.

Moving forward, here is the configuration that you can use in Docker out of Docker method of building Docker images in Kubernetes.

containers:

  – name: my-container

    # …

    # other container config here

    # …

    volumeMounts:

    – mountPath: /var/run/docker.sock

      name: docker-socket-volume

    securityContext:

      privileged: true

volumes:

  – name: docker-socket-volume

    hostPath:

      path: /var/run/docker.sock

      type: File

4. img

Img is another tool for building Docker images on Kubernetes. Along with img, Amazon EKS Cluster on AWS is used in this process. The foremost step is to create a configmap for Docker configuration (docker-config.yaml) with the following command.

apiVersion: v1

kind: ConfigMap

metadata:

  name: docker-config

data:

  config.json: |-

    {

      \”credHelpers\”: {

        \”123456789498.dkr.ecr.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\”: \”ecr-login\”

      }

    }    

Afterward, you need to place the following script in the section where pipeline scripts are added.

pipeline {

  agent {

    kubernetes {

      //cloud \’kubernetes\’

      yaml \”\”\”

kind: Pod

metadata:

  name: kaniko

spec:

  containers:

  – name: kaniko

    image: gcr.io/kaniko-project/executor:debug-539ddefcae3fd6b411a95982a830d987f4214251

    imagePullPolicy: Always

    command:

    – cat

    tty: true

    volumeMounts:

      – name: docker-config

        mountPath: /kaniko/.docker

  volumes:

    – name: docker-config

      configMap:

        name: docker-config

\”\”\”

    }

  }

  stages {

    stage(\’Build with Kaniko\’) {

      steps {

        git \’https://github.com/prabhatsharma/sample-microservice\’

        container(name: \’kaniko\’) {

            sh \’\’\’

            /kaniko/executor –dockerfile `pwd`/Dockerfile –context `pwd` –destination=123456789498.dkr.ecr.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sample-microservice:latest –destination=123456789498.dkr.ecr.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sample-microservice:v$BUILD_NUMBER

            \’\’\’

        }

      }

    }

  }

}

Now all you have to do is save the pipeline and build the image. Keep in mind that this code can be used on the Amazon EKS cluster to run Kubernetes. 

FAQ

Q1: Can Docker images store data?

Users can store data in Docker images, but it is not advised by professionals as the data can be lost or can compromise its security. The right practice is to use the host to store data.

Q2: How many images can be created from a Docker image base?

An unlimited number of Docker images can be created from a single image base.

Q3: What is the default Docker Image Registry?

The default Docker image registry is Docker Hub.

Q4: Can a base image be personalized?

Docker images can be personalized by the users. All they have to do is pull the image from the Docker hub to the local system using the following code.
$ docker pull <image_name>

Q5: What is the command to delete an image from the local storage?

To delete an image from the local storage system, you have to run the following command.
$ docker rmi <image-id>

The post Building Docker Image in Kubernetes appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

Why is a Secure Software Development Lifecycle Necessary?

SSDLC helps organizations build and deliver secure software while providing customers with confidence in the protection of their data. A Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) is necessary for several reasons:

• Customer’s Peace of Mind: One of the main concerns for software users is the security of their data. They want assurance that their sensitive information is protected from cyberattacks. By implementing SSDLC, developers demonstrate their commitment to building secure software, giving users peace of mind about the safety of their data.
• Cost Saving on Issue Fixing: In traditional software development approaches, security issues are often discovered after the software is already built and deployed. Fixing these issues at a later stage can be expensive and time-consuming. SSDLC helps identify and address security vulnerabilities early in the development process, minimizing the costs associated with issue fixing.
• Quick Delivery: In today’s competitive market, organizations strive for faster delivery of software products. Integrating security practices throughout the entire development lifecycle, as facilitated by SSDLC, allows for the identification and mitigation of security risks at each stage. As a result, organizations can deliver software products more quickly while maintaining the required level of security.

Understanding the Process for Safe Software Development Lifecycle

The process for a safe software development lifecycle (SSDLC) consists of five phases. Here is an overview of each phase:

• Requirements Phase: This phase involves understanding the requirements of the software or feature being developed. Ideas are collected from stakeholders, and a security-first mindset is implemented. A threat model is created, defining security guidelines and controls for the project.
• Design Phase: In this phase, a technical design of the software is created. The security design is verified based on the threat model established in the previous phase. Actions such as reviewing security requirements, using threat modeling techniques, and defining design flaws are performed.
• Development Phase: Developers write the code and focus on using best practices to write secure code. Code scanning tools like application security testing (SAST) and software composition analysis (SCA) solutions are used to identify security issues. Security training is provided to enhance code quality and minimize security defects.
• Testing Phase: Testing occurs at multiple stages throughout the SSDLC. Tests are performed before code submission and may even be done in the production environment. The testing strategy depends on the overall implementation strategy, and automation is embraced to implement the tests.
• Release and Maintenance: The final phase is to release the software to the users. However, the work continues. After release, the software needs to be maintained and protected from potential threats. Staying updated with the latest security technologies and trends is essential. Penetration testing can help identify vulnerabilities that may have been missed earlier.

Best Practices for Safe Software Pipelines

There is no denying that implementing a secure software development lifecycle is effective for having safe software pipelines. As developers, it is necessary to take all the measures necessary to keep the developed software as secure as possible. With that in mind, here are the best practices you can combine with SSDLC for secure software pipelines. 

1. Prioritize and Fix Major Issues First:

As security practices will be implemented in every development phase, several issues will be found. There will be an urge to fix many issues as soon as possible. However, there are better approaches than that. Before you fix them, it is best to sort them as per their severity and fix major problems first. Doing so will ensure that all the significant issues are fixed within the time, and the problems that do not require immediate fixing can be left for later stages.

2. Remain Open-minded:

SSDLC may be a new concept for many teams that face numerous cultural and process changes. A rigid mindset will not help such teams adapt to this change, resulting in inadequate performance. Therefore, it is necessary for not just the security team but every individual involved in the development process to have an open and growth mindset. 

3. Define the Requirements Clearly:

The requirement phase is the foremost phase in the development process and sets the base of the software. Being a pivotal part of the process, it is necessary to define requirements as clearly as possible so that different teams can understand them and act accordingly. 

Safe Software Pipelines Frequently Asked Questions:

The post The Essential Guide to Safe Software Pipelines appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

1. Enhanced Customer Experience:

The customer experience provided by retail stores, offline or online, can be improved in two ways; by offering personalized shopping experiences and by introducing augmented reality. 

• Personalized Shopping Experiences: AI-powered product recommendations and virtual shopping assistants enhance the customer experience by providing personalized recommendations and seamless order placement.
• Augmented Reality (AR) in Retail: AR technology enables virtual try-ons for clothes, makeup, and accessories, improving the shopping experience at home. In-store, retailers can integrate AI to create interactive and immersive customer experiences.

2. Seamless E-Commerce Integration:

The current most preferred method of shopping is through e-commerce, mainly due to the feasibility and wide range of products it offers. The rise of social and voice commerce are the two main trends taking it to the next level.

• Rise of Social Commerce:
  • Shoppable Social Media Posts: E-commerce platforms utilize social media to showcase products and enable direct purchases from posts.
  • Influencer Marketing in E-commerce: Influencers with a large audience can drive sales through engaging content and product recommendations.
• Voice Commerce:
  • Voice-Activated Shopping Assistants: Voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant entertain and assist customers in making purchases.
  • Voice-Enabled Checkout Systems: Streamline the payment process and reduce transaction completion time with voice-enabled checkout systems.

3. Advanced Supply Chain Management:

Supply chain management is one of the crucial aspects of running a retail business smoothly. The top trends that can transform this area are inventory optimization with AI and blockchain for transparency and traceability. 

• Inventory Optimization with AI:
  • Demand Forecasting: AI can predict customer preferences, ensuring relevant products are available.
  • Automated Inventory Replenishment: Automated systems monitor stock levels and trigger orders for optimal availability.
• Blockchain for Transparency and Traceability:
  • Secure Supply Chain Transactions: Blockchain ensures secure and transparent transactions, minimizing fraud.
  • Product Authentication and Counterfeit Prevention: Blockchain enables product authentication and tracking, assuring customers of genuineness.

4. Revolutionizing Payment Systems:

Consumers have many options with various payment methods like digital wallets, credit cards, e-money, and blockchain. However, trends like contactless payments and cryptocurrencies are becoming extremely popular. 

• Contactless Payments:
  •   NFC and Mobile Wallets: Tap your phone or card for payment, while mobile wallets allow debit via OTP authentication.
  • Biometric Payment Authentication: Use fingerprint or facial recognition for secure transactions.
• Cryptocurrencies in Retail:
  • Adoption of Bitcoin and Altcoins: Retailers accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, offering convenience and low fees. However, volatility and lack of regulations may deter some customers.

5. Data-Driven Insights:

In this digital era, data is the most valuable asset for businesses. This data can help get useful insights to improve the organization\’s revenue. 

• Customer Analytics:
  • Predictive Customer Behavior Modeling: Analyze past purchases and browsing patterns to predict customer preferences and enhance their shopping experience.
  •   Sentiment Analysis and Feedback Management: Decode consumer feedback and emotions through sentiment analysis to address issues and understand customer expectations for your retail business.
• Retail Analytics for Operation Efficiency:
  •   Real-Time Performance Monitoring: Gain instant visibility into sales performance, operational metrics, and inventory levels to guide decision-making and improve overall revenue.
  • Optimal Store Layout and Product Placement: Utilize consumer mindset and patterns to optimize store layout and product placement, enhancing sales and improving the customer shopping experience.

6. Smart Store Technologies:

Technological advancement has helped to make overall living easier. Implementing smart store technologies like IoT and robotics can help make shopping easier for the consumer.

• Internet of Things (IoT) in Retail:
  • Smart Shelves and RFID Tracking: Utilize IoT-enabled RFID tags for real-time inventory tracking, ensuring accurate stock levels and continuous monitoring.
  • Automated Checkout and Inventory Management: Implement self-checkout technologies to streamline the process, reduce waiting times, and enhance customer experience.
• Robotics and Automation:
  • Autonomous Store Assistants: Combine AI and robotics to create autonomous retail store assistants that can assist customers, provide product information, and offer personalized recommendations, enhancing the in-store experience.
  • Warehouse Optimization with Robotics: Implement robotics for tasks such as inventory management, automated order fulfillment, and logistics processes in the warehouse. This can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and streamline operations.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the future of retail in 2023 and beyond is focused on personalized experiences, advanced analytics, and seamless integration. By adopting all these above retail tech trends, retailers can create unique shopping experiences that foster loyalty and drive business success. So, embrace innovation and leverage these technologies to stay ahead in the ever-evolving retail landscape.

The post Retail Tech Trends 2023 appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..

With Canary deployments, you can see how users interact with application changes in the real world. Compared to blue-green deployments, the canary strategy offers no downtime, easy upgrades, and rollbacks. Canary deployments are smoother, and even if the deployment fails, the magnitude of impact remains limited.

How Does Canary Deployment Work?

In canary deployment, two versions of the application run simultaneously. The old version is called “the stable”, and the new one is “the canary”. Now you can use two ways to deploy the update: rolling deployments and side-by-side deployments.

What Are the Different Stages of Canary Deployment?

In a simple structure, the canary deployment has three stages.

• Plan and Create: In the first step, you must create a new canary infrastructure where the latest update is deployed. A small portion of users is directed toward the canary instance, and the rest of the users continue to use the baseline instance.
• Analyze: As soon as some traffic is diverted to the canary instance, the team starts to collect crucial data, including metrics, logs, network traffic monitoring information, synthetic transaction monitoring results, etc. All this analysis is done to check whether the new canary instance is operating rightly. Further, the team analyzes this data and compares it against the baseline version. 
• Roll: Once the canary analysis is complete, the team decides whether to roll out the release for the rest of the users or roll it back to the previous baseline state. Second phase analysis is handy for choosing between release rollback and rollout.

Benefits of Canary Deployment:

1. Zero Production Downtime, Faster Rollback: Since the canary deployment runs for a small subset of users, you require fewer resources in terms of infrastructure. While a blue-green strategy works only in a whole new provisioned environment, the canary requires a small infrastructure in the beginning to deploy your changes and check if your application is meant for the users. 
2. Less Costly with Small Infra: Since the canary deployment runs for a small subset of users, you require fewer resources in terms of infrastructure. While a blue-green strategy works only in a whole new provisioned environment, the canary requires a small infrastructure, in the beginning, to deploy your changes and check if your application is meant for the users.
3. Easy Experiment with New Features: Your organization needs minimal canary deployment resources. This works as a confidence booster for the developers and testers, as they get more space for experimenting with new things. The loss would be negligible if something fails or doesn’t work as expected. 
4. Works for all Deployment Sizes: Since each canary deployment is smaller in size, it takes minutes to hours to complete. This is a very helpful environment for fast and frequent updates. The shorter deployment cycles reduce the time to market and provide valuable products to the customers. Canary also works well for large and distributed systems.

Disadvantages of Canary Deployment:

• Risky: Usually, the first group using the canary finds the worst bugs. Plus, it can annoy some users once they know about being used for random testing. However, if you still want to persist with canary deployment without frustrating your users, consider starting an opt-in program for users to voluntarily sign up for being the “early adopter” of the new updates.

• Sometimes Costly: Side-by-side deployments prove costly, as you need extra infrastructure. But if you take advantage of the cloud platforms, then you can create and remove resources on demand to keep the costs down.

• Complexity: There are some commonalities between blue-green deployments and canary deployments. For instance, production machines, migrating users, and monitoring the new system are complicated tasks. Instead of performing all these tasks manually, automate the deployment process using a CI/CD platform.

Conclusion:

Downtime, bugs, and issues are a reality; your organization is no exception. But instead of worrying about it, you can change your approach to reduce the impact of bad releases.  For instance, in a traditional release approach, you would expose the application to whole users, which involves a risk factor if it has issues.

Contrary, if you would be able to let fewer users – 5%, for example – see new updates of your application, then risk automatically gets low. This approach is known as canary deployment.

Ensure Smooth Software Updates with Controlled Deployments.

The post Canary Deployment: Working, Stages, Benefits appeared first on ThinkSys Inc..