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Using a Security Code Scan to Fill Salesforce’s Gaps

Josh Rank
May 17, 2023

Automated scans of critical Salesforce considerations address common problems to support data security and regulatory compliance.

Why It Matters: Salesforce is a secure platform, but the addition of any customizations or third-party applications has the potential to introduce data security vulnerabilities. Failing to find and fix these vulnerabilities can result in costly data loss events. Performing a security code scan goes a long way to help with this, but additional automated tools are available to further secure your platform.

Human error is the most common reason for data loss.
Salesforce doesn’t provide the guardrails needed to verify proper usage.
Automated security code scans are an integral aspect of maintaining a healthy environment.

Here are 9 ways a security code scan secures your Salesforce environment:

Ensuring Reliable Code Quality
Establishing Proper Profiles and Permissions Settings
Enforcing Internal Policies
Reducing Manual Processes
Assisting with Compliance
Protecting Metadata
Finding Technical Debt
Enabling Flexibility
Integrating into CI/CD Pipeline

1. Ensuring Reliable Code Quality

Faulty code leads to security and functionality issues. Every Salesforce DevOps project has a goal to accomplish. It can be tempting to push projects through with an eye toward the ultimate goal, but this only creates issues. Failing to properly address code quality drastically increases the likelihood of bugs, errors, and misfires.

Static code analysis provides immediate alerts to developers when an error is detected, enabling them to correct the mistake before it creates any data security issues.

Quality tests equate to security code scans because the issues resulting from poor code make faulty applications that can misfire and negatively impact system data.

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2. Establishing Proper Profiles and Permissions Settings

Overexposed data is more likely to experience accidental deletion or corruption. And the easiest way to ensure Salesforce data is only accessible by people who need it is to maintain proper settings for permissions and profiles.

Automated scans check for proper permissions settings to guarantee your Salesforce data is not overexposed and susceptible to corruption.

Security code scans cover more than the code itself. The security of your Salesforce environment relies on a comprehensive approach. Verifying proper settings for profiles and permissions creates an infrastructure of security that supports your DevOps goals from the inside out.

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3. Enforcing Internal Policies

The way your team members interact with your Salesforce environment has a massive impact on the overall security of the platform. Adhering to best practices and maintaining proper usage of connected devices further secures your environment. However, the opposite of this is also true—failing to maintain best practices introduces data security vulnerabilities.

Enforcement and verification of internal policies can be automated to alert Salesforce administrators when improper action is detected.

Proper governance of a Salesforce environment requires setting standards and enforcing them. This can become difficult, especially with large teams. Automating these checks frees up your team to address more pressing matters, while guaranteeing 100% adherence to internal policies.

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4. Reducing Manual Processes

There’s a popular opinion that certain tasks can be done much better when a talented individual gives them direct attention. And this is true for many tasks, but highly repetitive tasks can grow monotonous over time and lead to errors when performed manually. Many types of Salesforce DevOps tests, integrations, and functions fall into this category.

Automating tasks previously performed manually with a security code scan increases the speed at which these processes are completed as well as heightens their reliability.

Detecting bugs and coding defects takes a high degree of attention. Even the most talented team members experience fatigue when combing through thousands of lines of code. Automating this process saves time and leads to better results.

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5. Assisting with Compliance

Healthcare, finance, insurance, and numerous other industries are subject to higher degrees of scrutiny when it comes to data security. Government regulations are put in place to ensure proper handling of sensitive information to protect consumers and team members from having their data exposed.

Automated scans of your Salesforce environment can be directed at evaluating compliance standards to eliminate the potential for fines and penalties as a result of falling out of step with these regulations.

Dashboards and reports are also available to help companies provide essential documentation to compliance officers to streamline audits and prove compliance.

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6. Protecting Metadata

There are a variety of types of metadata that exist in the background of your Salesforce environment. This metadata can either describe functionality within your platform such as automated form fills, or it can describe your Salesforce data itself. But no matter which type of metadata you’re talking about, it needs to be protected.

Security code scans verify proper handling and storage of Salesforce metadata to preserve functionality, support compliance, and protect critical system data.

Different parts of your Salesforce environment have different metadata rules, and they all need to be addressed:

Profiles
Permission Sets
User Settings
Session Settings
Flow

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7. Finding Technical Debt

There is a tendency for teams to become so focused on the end goal that they push new projects through without taking the time to properly test their changes. This is occasionally a conscious decision, with the idea that the resulting errors will be fixed after the update or application is produced, creating what is called “technical debt.”

Technical debt existing in your system has the potential to create data security vulnerabilities.

A security code scan finds and flags these threats to functionality and security. Scanning your code prior to production prevents the introduction of new technical debt.

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8. Enabling Flexibility

Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving. New technology inevitably leads to new bugs and issues. Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to bypass data security tools. Having the ability to quickly produce reliable updates and applications makes a company much more flexible and able to respond to these evolving threats.

A security code scan enables Salesforce DevOps teams to produce new projects without worrying about the stability of their code.

Issuing releases faster means a company can produce more projects every year. This is a great asset for data security, but serves other business goals as well.

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9. Integrating into CI/CD Pipeline

A comprehensive approach to Salesforce data security and DevOps produces the greatest results. Every stage of the pipeline has the potential to make a project stronger or increase the chance of costly errors. Implementing a series of tools that work together provides the coverage needed to confidently produce new updates and applications.

Integrating a security code scan tool into a CI/CD pipeline enables multiple layers of testing, strategic automation, and stronger final products.

Giving your team the tools they need to achieve their goals makes a better working experience for them, enabling them to produce a better end-user experience.

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Next Step…

Data privacy is a critical consideration—particularly for businesses operating in regulated industries. However, every company has team members or customer data they need to protect.

Check out our blog “How a Static Code Analysis Tool Supports Data Privacy” to learn more.

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FAQs

Why do I need extra data security features if Salesforce is secure?

Salesforce itself is secure. However, when companies integrate their own customizations and add-ons, this increases the potential for the introduction of data security vulnerabilities—not to mention the ways in which employees interact with the platform. When it comes to addressing these vulnerabilities, Salesforce isn’t going to help. The company is responsible for protecting the data contained within its Salesforce instance. Additional data security features like a security code scan tool account for these additional vulnerabilities and ensure your team members are maintaining secure practices. So while Salesforce is a secure platform, the ways we use it often make it necessary to introduce additional data security features.

How does code health relate to Salesforce data security?

The health of your code dictates whether or not your applications and updates function as intended. This impacts the end-user experience, but product failures can go even further and create data security vulnerabilities. Buggy applications will misfire. This can result in the deletion of important information or even creation of a back door that can be exploited by cybercriminals. Even a small entry point can grant wide-ranging access to cybercriminals because Salesforce environments are often interconnected with multiple departments. High-quality code ensures applications and updates function as intended to support data security instead of introducing new vulnerabilities.

We’ve sourced top-of-the-line security tools—isn’t that enough to keep our Salesforce environment secure?

No. The way your team members interact with your data and overall environment has a major impact on the success of your data security strategy. Simple mistakes have the potential to create massive problems. Something as innocuous as granting unnecessarily broad levels of access increases the likelihood that a costly data exposure or breach could occur. It’s tempting to only target malicious inside threats, but even well-meaning employees can cause tremendous harm. Reducing the possibility of these costly accidents through proper permission settings and continued training supports a successful Salesforce data security strategy.

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Using a Security Code Scan to Fill Salesforce’s Gaps

1. Ensuring Reliable Code Quality

2. Establishing Proper Profiles and Permissions Settings

3. Enforcing Internal Policies

4. Reducing Manual Processes

5. Assisting with Compliance

6. Protecting Metadata

7. Finding Technical Debt

8. Enabling Flexibility

9. Integrating into CI/CD Pipeline

Next Step…

FAQs

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