Data privacy is impacted by the environment in which it is stored. Using a static code analysis tool reinforces that environment and supports a successful data privacy strategy.
Why It Matters: Any failure to properly protect Salesforce data can result in costly data loss events and falling out of compliance with data protection regulations.
Regulated industries such as healthcare and finance are among the most frequent targets for cybercrime.
Failing to comply with data privacy regulations results in costly fines, penalties, and the loss of consumer trust.
Simple bugs or errors in an application’s code can drastically impact the security of all associated data.
Here are 8 ways a static code analysis tool contributes to a successful data privacy strategy:
- Eliminates Errors from New Updates and Applications
- Ensures Backups Are Bug-Free
- Increases Speed to Address Emerging Issues
- Dashboards and Analytics Document Successes
- Integrates with DevSecOps Platforms for Full Coverage
- Creates an Atmosphere of Continuous Learning
- Targets Technical Debt to Shore Up Existing Threats
- Works Alongside Policy Scanners for Complete Visibility
1. Eliminates Errors from New Updates and Applications
Speed is important for the development and release of new applications and updates. Not only does this help you remain competitive in your industry, but it also helps address evolving data security concerns.
However, speed should not come at the cost of quality. Hurrying through the development and testing phases of new DevOps projects can lead to errors that aren’t found until after production.
A static code analysis tool enables speedy deployments while guaranteeing an error-free environment. This reduces vulnerabilities and misfires in the eventual product, making it more secure.
Strong products are built on strong code. And if you don’t have the proper systems in place, it becomes increasingly difficult to confidently produce new updates and applications.
2. Ensures Backups Are Bug-Free
A recent and complete data backup—and the ability to quickly recover it—is an essential aspect of a complete data protection strategy. But if you have existing technical debt in your system, these bugs will also be backed up alongside important system data.
A static code analysis tool can be leveraged to scan backups for bugs and errors so they can be flagged and fixed.
Recovering bug-free data minimizes the impact of experiencing a data loss event and ensures your team can hit the ground running after recovery is complete. These situations are already challenging; there’s no need to add an additional layer of difficulty by recovering bad code.
3. Increases Speed to Address Emerging Issues
The data privacy landscape is constantly evolving. New challenges, evolving compliance rules, and changing company sizes all require flexibility. The ability to introduce new updates to address these issues is a huge advantage in maintaining necessary privacy levels for your most sensitive information.
We’ve mentioned how speed shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. Automated code quality scans increase release velocity while guaranteeing total coverage.
Data privacy requires constant attention. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. System misfires can lead to accidental deletions. The ability to increase your capacity for yearly releases also increases your ability to respond to these emerging challenges.
Being the first to market with new functionalities positions your company as a leader in your industry. It’s essential to ensure the stability of these releases with multiple lines of testing a flawless code.
4. Dashboards and Analytics Document Successes
When it comes to data privacy, information is power. It’s impossible to fix a problem if you don’t know it exists. A Salesforce static code analysis tool provides dashboards and reports, so you have a clear view of what is happening at various stages of your DevOps pipeline.
The information contained within these reports can be used to improve processes and approaches over time, leading to a more secure and more streamlined development pipeline.
Documenting successes is an essential part of communicating proper practices to team members. In addition, this documentation also helps a company stay in compliance with certain data privacy regulations.
5. Align with Various Security Standards
True DevSecOps requires a comprehensive approach. Multiple layers of testing and consideration for data security throughout the application lifecycle yield the strongest, most secure products possible. But how do you ensure this holistic approach works?
Source powerful, automated tools that work together to create synergy and amplify the benefits of each other.
A static code analysis tool integrates perfectly with a CI/CD pipeline to expand testing capacity and streamline deployment processes. Immediate alerts to coding errors save your team the hassle of reworking existing code after it makes its way into production, saving you time and supporting data privacy.
6. Creates an Atmosphere of Continuous Learning
A static code analysis tool teaches talented team members to produce safer, more reliable Salesforce DevOps products. There’s no better way to mature than by learning from our own mistakes. However, you can only benefit from this when you are shown the best way to solve these problems.
Immediate alerts to coding errors provide real-time feedback to developers, which helps them quickly see how to fix mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future.
Data privacy requires a comprehensive approach. These dashboards and analytics help managers find problem areas so they can be addressed and refined. Ensuring proper operations from the beginning of a DevOps project reduces the errors seen at the end.
7. Targets Technical Debt to Shore Up Existing Threats
Initiating new processes and the use of a static code analysis tool won’t go back in time to ensure every existing update and application is free of coding errors. These existing bugs are often left with the idea of going back later to address them. This is known as technical debt.
Static code analysis can find and flag technical debt so it can be addressed before it creates a data privacy issue.
Any bugs that exist in a live environment have the capacity to create data privacy risks, so finding and fixing these bugs must be a priority. They can create back doors for cybercriminals, who can then move throughout your environment and access private data. Protecting your data starts by fixing any existing errors and vulnerabilities.
8. Works Alongside Policy Scanners for Complete Visibility
Static code analysis helps your team keep tabs on code health throughout the development life cycle. This is a crucial aspect of supporting data privacy concerns. However, the failure to follow internal rules can lead to accidental deletions and other costly team member mistakes.
A policy scanner offers total coverage for Salesforce administrators to verify adherence to internal rules as well as compliance considerations.
For example, the overexposure of data occurs when too many employees have access to sensitive data—even if they don’t need access to perform their duties. A policy scanner checks for these settings to ensure protected data is only accessible by appropriate roles. Regulatory compliance and a proper data privacy strategy rely on strict attention to permissions settings.
Next Step…
Customizing your Salesforce development environment with VS code plugins makes for a more enjoyable experience for your team members. But how can you use that to perform quality checks?
Read “Performing Quality Checks with VS Code Plugins for Salesforce” to learn more.