GitHub Advanced Security Features And Security In Jira

Last Updated on April 11, 2024

When it comes to software development, security is a necessary element. That is why we will analyze GitHub Advanced Security and how Jira supports this DevSecOps feature. GitHub Advanced Security brings a range of tools to the table, such as code scanning, secret scanning, and dependency review – customized to identify vulnerabilities before they escalate. Jira integrates project management, turning the complex task of tracking and managing security issues into a streamlined process. If you combine these platforms, teams will be empowered to manage security risks proactively. 

What are GitHub Advanced Security features?

The use GitHub Advanced Security helps you to proactively identify vulnerabilities and patch them before they can be exploited. What is it about GitHub Advanced Security that makes it a must-have for developers and security professionals? Well, take a look at its core features:

• Code scanning: This filters through your code, identifying potential vulnerabilities and security holes.
• Secret scanning: Secrets in code, like API keys or cryptographic keys, are exactly what hackers are looking for. Secret scanning helps you detect these before they fall into the wrong hands.
• Dependency review: Your code doesn’t live in isolation; it depends on external libraries and packages. Dependency reviews guarantee these external components don’t bring any vulnerabilities. Additionally, GitHub Advanced Security effectively tracks changes to dependencies, alerting developers to any updates that might introduce new risks. It’s particularly thorough in finding vulnerable versions of dependencies, a key aspect in protecting your code.

GitHub Enterprise and GitHub Enterprise Cloud

GitHub Advanced Security is a security framework, especially prominent in the context of GitHub Enterprise Server and GitHub Enterprise Cloud. These enterprise-level solutions extend the features of GitHub Advanced Security, offering even more protection customized for large-scale and often challenging software projects.

Within GitHub Enterprise, code scanning is an important asset. On top of finding vulnerabilities, it’s also about integrating these insights into a broader security strategy. The scanning tools are made in order to work easily with the complex workflows typical of enterprise-level development – they provide in-depth analysis without disrupting ongoing processes.

For large organizations, the risk of exposed secrets like API keys could result in larger consequences. GitHub Enterprise Cloud addresses this with secret scanning capabilities that operate at scale. It scans large codebases and multiple repositories, to guarantee that no secret slips through unnoticed, no matter the size of the project. 

In enterprise settings, software supply chain security is crucial. GitHub Enterprise improves this aspect with its dependency review feature, analyzing every external component your code interacts with. This thorough review process makes sure that the entire chain, from code to deployment, is secure and reliable. 

What is Security in Jira? – How and why

Security in Jira is designed to integrate DevSecOps into Jira Software Cloud, in order to streamline the management of security vulnerabilities alongside development tasks. This integration allows for a unified approach to identifying, tracking, and resolving security issues directly within the software development lifecycle. Atlassian’s initiative to develop Security in Jira started from the need to make security management a key part of the development process, to allow for real-time communication and collaboration between security and development teams. This guarantees that security is embedded from the start, and keeps a proactive stance on vulnerability management. 

To fully make use of Security in Jira, you should consider its integration with various security tools, which boost DevSecOps workflows by automating the process of security issue tracking and management. Among the main advantages we should mention improved efficiency in handling vulnerabilities, closer collaboration between development and security teams, and it is guaranteed that security is a crucial part of the software development lifecycle from the start.

When it comes to downsides, the initial setup and integration process may take a lot of time and effort, especially for teams which are not already familiar with Jira or those using a variety of external security tools. 

Integration of GitHub Advanced Security in Jira 

If you integrate GitHub Advanced Security with Jira, it will boost the efficiency and security of software development projects by allowing vulnerabilities detected by GitHub to be directly managed within Jira’s project management framework. This integration allows for security issues to be easily tracked and resolved alongside other development tasks; which promotes a unified approach to project management and security. 

Top reasons to integrate GitHub Advanced Security in Jira

• Streamlined workflow: Issues identified by GitHub Advanced Security are automatically created in Jira, this enables teams to manage security vulnerabilities as part of their standard project management processes.
• Better collaboration: By bringing security vulnerabilities into the same platform where development tasks are tracked, development and security teams can collaborate more effectively, which guarantees that security considerations are integrated into every stage of the development process.
• Increased visibility: Security issues are given the same visibility as other project tasks, ensuring they are prioritized and addressed promptly, this reduces the risk of security vulnerabilities making it into production. 
• Efficiency in fixing: With vulnerabilities and development tasks managed in one place, teams can address security issues faster, which decreases the time from detection to adjustment. 

How to set it up? 

To start off you should make sure you have administrative access to both your GitHub and Jira instances. Then, GitHub Advanced Security should be enabled on your GitHub repository. You need Jira Software Cloud with project administration permissions.

Configuration in GitHub:

• Find your repository settings in GitHub.
• Go to the “Security & analysis” section and make sure that Code Scanning alerts are turned on. 

Integration setup:

• In Jira, install the GitHub for Jira app available from the Atlassian Marketplace.
• Connect your GitHub organization to Jira by following the app’s setup instructions, which usually involve generating a GitHub API token and configuring it within the Jira app settings. 

Automating Alert Sync:

• Configure the GitHub for Jira app to automatically create Jira issues from GitHub Advanced Security alerts. This usually involves setting up rules or filters within the app to specify which alerts should create issues, in which project, and with what details. 

Workflow customization:

• Customize your Jira workflows to accommodate the security tasks, defining statuses, transitions, and assignments that reflect how your team addresses security issues. 

Monitor and adjust:

• Once set up, monitor the integration for a few weeks to adjust any settings or workflows as necessary to make sure that the process is efficient and effective for you or your team. 

Streamline software development

The integration of GitHub Advanced Security with Jira marks a significant advancement in software development, particularly in handling security concerns. This combination of tools creates an environment where security is a seamlessly integrated aspect of the development process.

With GitHub Advanced Security, potential vulnerabilities are identified efficiently, right from the early stages of code writing. But identifying issues is only half the battle. The real game-changer is how these identified issues are managed, and that’s where Jira comes into play. By automatically incorporating these security concerns into Jira’s project management framework, teams can address them alongside other development tasks, and therefore comprehensive tracking and timely resolution.

This integration fosters a more communicative and collaborative workspace. Developers, accustomed to handling their tasks within Jira, now have visibility of security issues in the same space, allowing for easier prioritization and action. For CISOs and project managers, this means a clearer view of the project’s security status and the ability to deploy resources more effectively.

Perhaps most importantly, this collaboration between GitHub and Jira helps shift the approach from a reactive to a proactive stance on security. Teams are not just responding to vulnerabilities; they are actively planning and implementing strategies to prevent them. In this way, GitHub Advanced Security and Jira together are redefining the software development landscape, embedding security into the very fabric of the process and ensuring that it goes hand in hand with efficiency and clarity.

Takeaway

The collaboration between GitHub Advanced Security and Jira blends advanced security tools with effective project management, enabling teams to manage security risks proactively within their development workflow. It’s a powerful combination that reinforces the idea that robust security and efficient project management can work hand in hand, paving the way for more secure and successful software projects.

However, we shouldn’t forget about other best practices to secure GitHub and Jira environments, like backup. A comprehensive backup and Disaster Recovery solution, like GitProtect.io for DevOps tools, can help to ensure business and organizational continuity of both GitHub and Jira ecosystems.

Before you go:

📚 Learn more about the security best practices for DevOps tools in our series of articles: GitHub security best practices and Jira security best practices

🔎 Find out how Red5 managed to meet its security and compliance requirements by adopting GitProtect.io backups for GitHub and Jira

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