Automated Software Risk Assessment via Runtime Evidence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users and procurers in regulated industries face challenges in assessing the security and compliance posture of software applications due to the lack of a centralized repository for up-to-date, evidence-backed information, leading to time-consuming manual processes and reliance on vendor self-attestation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for automatically gathering evidence from various sources, including runtime environments, to provide a robust and centralized risk assessment dashboard, reducing the need for manual validation and periodic re-assessments by continuously monitoring security and compliance updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual validation processes are used to assess software security and compliance, then assessment accuracy can be maintained through evidence verification, but the assessment time increases significantly (up to 10 additional weeks)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary security and compliance assessments automatically before formal procurement decisions are made. Evidence is collected and validated in advance through automated monitoring of security controls, vulnerability scans, and compliance frameworks, so that when formal assessment is needed, the work is already substantially complete.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical validation processes with automated electronic systems. Instead of human reviewers manually examining evidence documents, the system uses automated tools to collect security evidence, validate compliance controls, and generate assessments through electronic monitoring and analysis of security configurations and vulnerability data.
2Measurement precision
If periodic re-assessments are performed to track changes in software security posture, then security monitoring accuracy is maintained, but the frequency and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous security monitoring that operates without interruption between formal assessment periods. Automated agents continuously collect security evidence, monitor vulnerability changes, and track compliance status in real-time, eliminating the need for intensive periodic re-assessments while maintaining constant security visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback on security posture changes by automatically detecting and reporting variations in security controls, new vulnerabilities, or compliance deviations. This feedback mechanism enables proactive security management without requiring frequent manual re-assessments, as the system automatically alerts stakeholders to significant changes.
3Reliability
If centralized repository with evidence-backed information is implemented, then information reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal evidence repository that serves multiple functions: storing security evidence, validating compliance controls, supporting procurement decisions, and enabling continuous monitoring. This single multi-functional platform eliminates the need for separate systems for each function, reducing overall system complexity while improving information reliability through centralized evidence management.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for providing a risk assessment for a software application based on evidence obtained from one or more sources. In some aspects, security and compliance evidence may be obtained from one or more evidence sources, for an application offered through a service provider, where the evidence sources include operational data from the application executing within a runtime environment provided by the service provider. The obtained evidence may be mapped to risk assessment criteria to generate a risk assessment. In some cases, the risk assessment criteria includes a plurality of attributes of the application, with the attributes indicating potential vulnerabilities of the application. A representation of the risk assessment may be generated across at least some of the attributes based on the risk assessment comparison. The risk assessment representation may then be updated based on monitoring of the security and compliance evidence for the application.