Build Secure Applications with IBM AppScan and SD Elements Integration

 

Build Secure Applications with IBM AppScan and SD Elements Integration

Integrating SD Elements with IBM AppScan enables organizations to manage security requirements and validate them through automated testing, reducing risk and streamlining secure development workflows.

Why Manage Software Security Requirements Early?

Addressing security requirements early reduces risk and lowers remediation costs.

  • 25–50% of data breaches target the application layer.

  • Fixing vulnerabilities late in the SDLC can cost up to 100x more than fixing them early.

  • Proactively managing security reduces rework, downtime, and risk exposure.

What Is Software Security Requirements Management?

Software security requirements management involves identifying, implementing, validating, and reporting security controls throughout the SDLC.

Key components include:

Component

Description

Threat Modeling

Automatically identify threats early in design

Requirements Generation

Generate actionable tasks based on identified threats

Workflow Integration

Deliver tasks to developers via ALM tools like Jira

Control Validation

Validate requirements with automated/manual testing tools (e.g., AppScan)

Reporting & Auditing

Provide compliance-ready reports and security audit trails

How SD Elements Supports Secure Development

SD Elements automates threat modeling and generates tailored security tasks based on the context of the application.

  • Uses a short questionnaire to assess application architecture.

  • Maps threats to mitigation tasks.

  • Integrates with developer workflows (e.g., Jira) to deliver tasks directly.

  • Supports just-in-time training via code samples, how-tos, and embedded training links.

  • Validates task completion through integrations with IBM AppScan and other tools.

The Value of Integration with IBM AppScan

Integrating AppScan with SD Elements connects security requirements with testing results, creating a closed-loop validation system.

Benefits include:

  • Automated mapping of scanner results to security tasks.

  • Real-time verification status updates.

  • Visual risk posture tracking through dashboards.

  • Streamlined compliance reporting (e.g., GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, NIST).

Feature

Benefit

AppScan Dynamic & Static Testing

Scans apps for vulnerabilities across different layers

Aggregated Findings

Combines results from multiple testing types

Integration with SD Elements

Aligns findings with security requirements and tasks

Compliance Reporting

Tracks task status, verification, and maps them to compliance needs

Common Challenges This Integration Solves

This combined solution addresses key pain points in DevSecOps and rapid development environments.

1. Inability to Scale Security Reviews

Automated threat modeling and requirements generation replace weeks of manual work.

  • Allows security to keep pace with agile and DevOps cycles.

  • Compresses security reviews from weeks to hours.

2. Poor Communication Between Security and Development Teams

Security requirements are delivered directly into developers’ ALM tools.

  • Reduces friction through automation.

  • Includes embedded training resources for efficient remediation.

3. Overload of Security Findings

AppScan’s analytics prioritize vulnerabilities and reduce noise.

  • Filters out false positives.

  • Maps vulnerabilities to actionable SD Elements tasks.

  • Ensures focus on high-priority issues.

How the Integration Works (Technical Overview)

The SD Elements–AppScan integration supports both manual and automated data exchange.

Integration Steps:

  1. Create System-Level Connection

    • Configure AppScan Enterprise connection in SD Elements.

  2. Project-Level Mapping

    • Link specific AppScan scan results to SD Elements projects.

  3. Task Verification

    • Tasks in SD Elements show pass/fail status based on AppScan findings.

  4. Compliance Reporting

    • Generate audit-ready reports showing task status and test verification.

Reporting and Compliance Management

Track progress toward compliance with pre-mapped regulatory frameworks.

Supported frameworks include:

  • GDPR

  • PCI DSS

  • HIPAA

  • NIST

  • Custom internal policies

Each report shows:

  • Compliance section

  • Related SD Elements tasks

  • Task priority, completion, and verification status

Pricing Models

Product

Pricing Model Description

SD Elements

Application-based pricing (by number of managed apps)

AppScan

On-prem: Server + per-user licenses; Cloud: Per-scan/app/premium tiers