Gartner predicts that generative AI (GenAI) will become a critical workforce partner for 90% of companies by next year. In application development specifically, we see developers turning to code assistants like Github Copilot and Google Gemini Code Assist to help them build software at an unprecedented speed. But while GenAI can power new levels of productivity and speed, it also introduces new threats and challenges for application security teams.

As we approach the end of the year, many of us are reflecting on what we accomplished in 2024 — what did we do well this year? What could we have done better? It's also the perfect time to reflect on how to improve your team’s security practices. Have you been staying ahead of threats or have you let a few vulnerabilities slip through the cracks?

Vulnerability identification is a key part of application security (AppSec). This process entails tracking and reporting the number of vulnerabilities found and fixed to give stakeholders clear insight into the organization’s security posture. However, identifying and monitoring vulnerabilities using traditional methods can make risk evaluation more difficult.

The ultralytics supply chain attack occurred in two distinct phases between December 4-7, 2024. In the first phase, two malicious versions were published to PyPI: version 8.3.41 was released on December 4 at 20:51 UTC and remained available for approximately 12 hours until its removal on December 5 at 09:15 UTC. Version 8.3.42 was published shortly after on December 5 at 12:47 UTC and was available for about one hour before removal at 13:47 UTC.

Securing HTTP requests is crucial when developing Go applications to prevent vulnerabilities like Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF). SSRF occurs when an attacker manipulates a server to make unintended requests, potentially accessing internal services or sensitive data. We will explore how to secure HTTP requests by employing URL parsing and validation techniques, and provide example code to fortify the http.Get HTTP GET request handler.

We’re excited to announce that SBOMs (software bill of materials) generated by Snyk's tools will include license information! This new capability is part of our ongoing efforts in our Software Supply Chain Security solution. The developer-first tools in the solution help you gain a better understanding of your app’s supply chain, identify potential risks, and take the necessary steps to get ahead of them.

Trust is the foundation of the open source community — but what happens when that trust is betrayed? When a backdoor vulnerability was found in a widespread Linux-based data compression tool, it nearly created an opportunity for malicious actors to seize control of countless computers worldwide. The vulnerability was introduced by a trusted contributor who, after years of building rapport with maintainers, ultimately exploited that trust.

The old adage “knowledge is power” holds especially true in the realm of AppSec. By remaining aware of the potential threats to applications and closing gaps in coverage, AppSec teams can demonstrate to leaders that they are in a solid position to protect vital assets. However, visibility is riddled with challenges, not the least of which are highly productive developers racing to market, often using AI-generated code that contains potential security issues.

As DevOps adoption has grown, organizations are pushing code into production faster than ever. However, the fast pace of DevOps has led many developers to view security as a bottleneck or afterthought, which means security teams need a new approach to keep up.

In the software development industry, proactively securing the software development life cycle (SDLC) from cyber threats must always be a top priority. Taking a shift left approach addresses security early on so your development teams can spend more time innovating and less on dealing with vulnerabilities. But that’s just the beginning.