Security in the Cloud: Two Steps to Implementing a Secure CDE

Cloud development environments (CDEs) have officially been recognized by Gartner as a key emerging technology in its Hype Cycle reports. These centralized platforms bring everything—integrated development environment (IDE), runtime, infrastructure configurations, dependencies, collaboration tools, testing frameworks and pipelines—into an integrated cloud workspace. In a CDE, users gain easy, immediate browser access to development assets while heavy compute processes run faster and more efficiently in the cloud. Here's how to vastly increase and leverage your security efforts in two steps.

Step 1 - Move to a secure cloud development environment

Secure cloud development environments take the CDE to the next level. They centralize security controls in the cloud environment for consistent cyber protection across the SDLC. A secure CDE offers three critical advantages over traditional development environments:

1. Controls skyrocketing numbers of software components and dependencies. In 2024, average vulnerability fix times exceeded 300 days, due to complexity of dependencies. 80% of application dependencies are not upgraded for more than a year, even though 95% of these versions have safer alternatives available. A growing number of software security regulations also create new compliance requirements. A secure CDE delivers far better visibility into dependencies across the development cycle and can automatically alert and remediate problems before they become cyber risks.
2. Significantly reduces risk, human error, and the exploitable attack surface. 2024 also saw a 156% year-over-year increase in malicious open-source packages. Malware types are now disguised as open-source packages, including potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), phishing, data exfiltration, security holding packages and PII exfiltration. Security monitoring, threat detection, alerting and incident response in a secure CDE can consistently defend data and applications, as well as protect access to data resources.
3. Improves efficiency without compromising security. A secure CDE enables much better collaboration and real-time code review and visualization. Centralized security measures and automation remove the need for individual developers to make security decisions and streamlines testing to minimize rework.

Step 2 - Build cloud cyber skills

Training is a critical component of secure cloud development. Training simplifies a team's transition to an automated cloud workspace while building their cloud cyber skills. CMD+CTRL Security makes it easier to move to secure cloud development.

Our Elite Secure Developer—Cloud Learning Path coursework gives teams the knowledge and skills needed to apply secure coding best practices in all phases of cloud application and platform development. Courses cover topics including Big Data and its security challenges; cloud computing services, deployment models and regulatory requirements; and specific coding best practices for AWS, Azure and GCP.

Plus, with our latest cloud cyber range Forescient, learners can test their skills in a realistic gamified environment for a fun and engaging learning experience. Participants are guided by an intelligent chatbot through a mission-based storyline and challenged to find configuration and security issues that reflect real-world attacks—cloud misconfigurations, spear phishing, data exposure, denial of service, and others—mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK® Framework.

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Now's the time to take control over cyber risks in your cloud environments. Request a demo of Forescient or our cloud learning path courses today.