The release of ChatGPT (and now ChatGPT4) has sparked a lot of excitement over AI in the tech community and beyond. For security managers, it begs the question: how can AI be used to increase the speed and security of software development? How can AI enable my organisation to shift left? If the various AI models out there, including ChatGPT-4 can be orchestrated and applied directly in the codebase, genuine security vulnerabilities could be detected automatically and shifting left could no longer just be an abstract idea. In this blog, we will discuss how AI can be orchestrated to distribute security ownership among developers, enabling devs to find and fix vulnerabilities with one click in the codebase.

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Shifting left

Shifting left, the practice of addressing issues early in the software development lifecycle, has gained significant attention and adoption in recent years. While it offers several benefits, there are also challenges and potential issues associated with shifting left.

• In reality, shifting left may just mean transferring the problem to a different stage of the DevOps cycle.
• Current solutions for ‘shifting left’ complicate the development process by creating dashboards, notifications, and reports to check.
• It’s hard to get everyone in your organisation on board, particularly in large or distributed teams.

These issues could be avoided if software developers were supported by AI that is in their codebase and which continuously scans code for context-aware vulnerabilities AND suggests fixes for those vulnerabilities. In fact, some developers already use tools like ChatGPT-4 GitHub Copilot to help them write code. But how can generative AI be enabled at scale securely?

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Orchestrating AI

The various AI models can be orchestrated to work directly in the codebase, meaning developers don’t need to refer to external dashboards, files or ADD WORD to solve vulnerability issues. Nullify is a security orchestration platform that leverages AI to enhance security measures in software development. It is designed to empower developers to take ownership of security by enabling them to identify and fix vulnerabilities in their codebase.

Nullify works by integrating with existing development tools, such as code repositories and issue trackers, and using AI algorithms to identify security vulnerabilities. The platform then generates actionable insights and recommendations that developers can use to fix vulnerabilities right in their codebase.

1. Integration with existing development tools: Nullify integrates directly with existing development tools, such as code repositories and issue trackers. This means that developers can continue working the way they work, with the support of the security bot.
2. Context-aware vulnerability detection: Nullify uses AI algorithms to automatically detect context-aware security vulnerabilities in the codebase. It only points out vulnerabilities that create problems in practice, reducing noise and alert fatigue.
3. Actionable recommendations: Not only does Nullify show vulnerabilities, but it generates suggestions that developers can use to fix the issue right in their codebase.
4. Continuous monitoring and improvement: Nullify provides continuous monitoring of the codebase to ensure that new vulnerabilities are detected and fixed straight away. This helps to maintain a high level of security and reduces the load on the entire software development cycle.

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Conclusion

The release of ChatGPT-4 has emphasised to the world the ever-expanding capabilities of AI. By leveraging existing and new AI models, organisations can enable their software developers to find and fix vulnerabilities as and when code is written. This results in proactive security, cost savings, and developer empowerment. By leveraging AI in combination with other security measures, organisations can significantly improve the detection, prevention, and response to security threats, ultimately enhancing the overall security posture of their software systems.