RASP is software used to secure applications during runtime by exposing the hidden vulnerabilities that are prone to attacks. It prevents the application from executing incoming malicious calls by hunting for malware or other threats in the incoming traffic. Once the RASP solution is installed in the App, it does not need any human intervention to neutralize vulnerabilities.
Hackers are continuously trying to misuse coding vulnerabilities like XSS and SQL injection, thus compromising the web applications. Appsealing prevents such attacks from happening. It also protects the App from design flaws such as workflow abuse. RASP software has an edge over WAF(WEB Application Firewalls) technology as it monitors incoming traffic from inside the Application, thereby exhibiting better outcomes. Use of this technology is constantly on the rise.
Why do you require RASP?
Modern applications involve interaction between back-end servers and users along with databases using various formats like XML, ISON and APIs. Hackers can easily attack the system if these system applications are not protected by efficient security software. RASP not only prevents the attack from happening but also works efficiently to block it. It has no adverse effect on the Application performance, making it the most wanted security solution in present times.
How does RASP protect the App?
RASP forms a protective layer between the application and the traffic by monitoring all incoming traffic to the server. Once it is integrated into the application, all threats get vetted through RASP that applies runtime protective measures as soon as it detects any threat, thus securing the system against any kind of malpractice.
How is RASP better than traditional security solutions?
With a rise in the popularity of cloud-based computing, traditional solutions are increasingly being replaced by new technology as they are unable to provide comprehensive protection to cloud-based applications. RASP software can be easily incorporated along with the program code to make it secure. It counteracts the damage by detecting all threat vectors well in advance. Runtime traffic is continuously monitored and appropriate action is initiated immediately. The user’s session may also be terminated if the need be. As RASP works inside the Application, fewer false positives are triggered which is an added advantage. Certain risk factors such as XML External Entity and insecure deserialization combine both static and dynamic systems and therefore can only be thwarted by RASP.
RASP technology incorporates complete visibility of the internal components as well as execution flow at runtime. Thus it can differentiate between a genuine threat or a fake alarm.
Why is RASP preferred nowadays?
Based on the latest technology RASP is preferred for various reasons, some of which are enumerated below:
- Strong Protection – The instances of a breach in WAFs are increasing recently. RASP, on the other hand, protects the system from various threats like IDOR, CSRF/SSRF etc.
- Cloud Support – Integrating RASP technology makes the application protect itself without any external help. The application can be used anywhere without any need to update the firewall or network rules.
- Adaptability – RASP technology can be effortlessly incorporated into the applications.
- Reduces False positives – RASP identifies a genuine threat and makes informed decisions by considering both static and dynamic views. WAF on the contrary offers protection by maintaining a mainstream perimeter that may raise false alarms at times.
- Easy to maintain – RASPs are self-dependent and need no human intervention once installed. They are commonly called the “Set and forget” system. The user need not configure any traffic rules or other processes as RASP is completely reliable. It makes the application self-protected in whatever environment it is being executed.
- DevSecOps support – Developers can easily get security information regarding line, file, severity and type with the help of RASP software so that they fix any potential threat immediately. It helps the developers in adopting the push left practices that may create some trouble while executing. RASPs work efficiently with bug tracking tools such as Asana and Jira, SIEMS and various ops management tools.
Are there any drawbacks of RASP?
RASP is integrated within the system that needs protection and works closely along with the system code. It is therefore essential that the application installed and RASP being used should be mutually compatible. Programming language is kept in mind while building RASP security tools. This essentially means that specific RASP tools are used for different languages. For example, RASP designed for the .NET application will not work for PHP or JAVA performance stem. Most of the programming languages used in App development work well with RASP.
What things should be considered while selecting a RASP solution?
Certain parameters should be kept in mind while choosing RASP security. Some of these are:
- It should work smoothly with the application and should run alongside other security tools already installed by default.
- The RASP security solution should not have any adverse effect on the application’s overall performance otherwise it may become more of a hindrance.
- Choose a solution that can handle a large number of vulnerabilities at the same time. Select a RASP solution that requires the least maintenance and can be deployed easily.
- The RASP solution should be user friendly and should not hamper the ease of working.
- It should accurately detect possible threats so that genuine traffic should be smooth, while trouble-causing traffic is blocked.
- RASP solution should be able to support several languages and frameworks.
- It should offer twenty-four-hour protection against potential threats, besides providing valuable assistance for cloud analysis.
- RASP should generate comprehensive and accurate reports on all the threats that were thwarted and analyse the problems occurring during the runtime behaviour of the application to protect it against such threats in future.
Bottom line:
- Appsealing helps to protect applications that are a ripe target for malicious hackers. RASP solutions have already proved to be the game-changer in various organizations. Developers around the world believe that RASP will be able to successfully surmount any deficiencies in the system and it may not be wrong to say that RASPs are the future of App security.
