Secrets Detection: Detecting Secrets in Source Code

Introduction to BlueOptima’s Secrets Detection

BlueOptima’s Secrets Detection component is an advanced feature of our Code Insights tool, providing unparalleled accuracy in detecting all types of secrets, including generic passwords, private keys, and API keys in public repositories. It is the ultimate solution for identifying and rectifying hard-coded secrets in your source code and configuration files.

The Growing Risk of Data Breaches

Services requiring authentication continue to be deployed, resulting in the number of secrets being generated exponentially increasing. According to IBM’s 2022 Cost of Data Breaches report, “For 83% of companies, it’s not if a data breach will happen, but when”. Unfortunately, developers often take insecure shortcuts and hard-code these sensitive secrets in their code, which creates dangerous vulnerabilities.

Once these secrets are checked into a source control system, it is almost impossible to completely delete them. This leaves unauthorized developers and malicious users free to steal sensitive information and wreak havoc on a company’s finances and reputation. Based on IBM’s latest report, in 2022, it took an average of 277 days—about 9 months—to identify and contain a breach, costing an average of $9.44m (USD) for every data breach in the USA.

Common Global Causes of Data Breaches (2022)

According to IBM's research, the most common causes of data breaches were as follows:

Stolen and compromised credentials
Phishing
Vulnerability in third-parties
Malicious insider
Business email compromise

‍Caption: The Secret Detection functionality of Code Insights supports the mitigation of risks associated with ‘Vulnerability in third-party software’ and ‘Stolen or compromised credentials’.

Why BlueOptima’s Solution is Different

Existing solutions for identifying these secrets are often inaccurate and generate a high number of false positives, making it difficult to sift through and identify the real threats. Our state-of-the-art machine learning models intelligently distinguish between a real secret and a false positive, making sure that only the truly dangerous secrets are flagged for investigation. Secrets Detection acts with precision and a high recall, providing peace of mind to our customers by reducing potential secret leaks.

Key Capabilities

Identifies file level secrets
Aggregates secret locations and types
Pin-points locations with a detailed report
Provides recommendations to mitigate identified secrets

With BlueOptima’s Secrets Detection, you can rest easy knowing that your secrets are secure and your code is free from vulnerabilities. Experience the ultimate solution for identifying and rectifying hard-coded secrets with Code Insights.

Who are BlueOptima?

We provide a SaaS technology that objectively measures software development efficiency. Our core metrics for productivity and code maintainability allow executives to make data-driven decisions related to talent optimisation, vendor management, location strategy, and much more.

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