Security without speed bumps: Using WAF simulator to transform DevSecOps workflows – Go Health Pro

During a recent webcast hosted by Adrian Sanabria of Enterprise Security Weekly, Fastly representatives explored the persistent challenges organizations face when integrating security testing into software development workflows.The discussion centered on the fundamental disconnect between security teams and development teams, highlighting how traditional security testing often creates significant bottlenecks in the software development lifecycle.Participants emphasized that security requirements frequently arrive too late in the development process, creating friction and potentially compromising both security and development efficiency.Liam Mayron, Staff Product Manager at Fastly, noted that the most effective approach is to embed security testing continuously throughout the development process, rather than treating it as a separate, final-stage checkpoint.This requires a more collaborative approach between security and development teams, with each side working to understand the other’s priorities and constraints. The team demonstrated a Web Application Firewall (WAF) simulator that allows developers to test security rules and configurations before deployment.The tool enables teams to simulate various attack scenarios, create custom security rules, and verify their effectiveness in real-time. Key capabilities highlighted during the demonstration included:

Simran Khalsa, Staff Security Researcher at Fastly, shared a practical example of how the tool could be integrated into existing workflows, including automated testing and notification systems that alert teams to potential security misconfigurations.The webcast underscored the growing need for more proactive and integrated security testing approaches. As software architectures become increasingly complex, with more organizations adopting microservices and distributed systems, traditional security testing methods are becoming less effective.Participants stressed that the goal is not to slow down development but to make security an integral part of the development process. The WAF simulator represents one approach to achieving this balance, providing developers with tools to test and validate security measures without creating significant additional overhead.The discussion highlighted an ongoing challenge in the cybersecurity industry: how to effectively integrate security testing into fast-moving development environments without creating unnecessary friction or compromising either security or development speed.While the discussion focused on Fastly’s specific approach, the broader conversation reflected a wider industry trend towards more collaborative and integrated security practices in software development.