How to integrate cybersecurity into your ALM process – without adding chaos
Managing cybersecurity in line with industry standards can seem like a complex, heavyweight task – but it doesn’t have to be. With the right setup, you can embed cybersecurity into your Application Lifecycle Management process without reinventing the wheel. Let’s explore how you can use Codebeamer to manage cybersecurity risks effectively – without adding unnecessary complexity.
Simplify First: Cybersecurity in Your Existing Setup
Before building new trackers or workflows, take a step back. Chances are, you can extend what you already have.
- Requirements Trackers: Add a new “Cybersecurity” value to your existing requirement types (e.g., System or Software Requirements). This lets you flag and manage cybersecurity-specific items without changing your structure.
- Risk Trackers: Do the same with risk categories. Add a “Cybersecurity” tag so you can separate out cyber-related risks while keeping everything centralized.
Creating separate cybersecurity trackers is possible and can help, but unless your process truly demands it (for example, a unique approval chain), it may just add clutter.
Strengthen Traceability and Compliance
Cybersecurity compliance isn’t about isolated effort – it’s about visibility and coverage across your lifecycle.
With Codebeamer’s built-in traceability tools, you can easily:
- Link cybersecurity requirements to test cases using the test coverage browser for visual mapping.
- Connect risks to mitigation measures via risk matrices or heatmaps.
- Generate traceability reports to prove compliance at every stage.
Already running automated testing like fuzzing or vulnerability scans? Great – those can be integrated too, without disrupting your current workflows for safety-critical development.
When You Need More: Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment (TARA)
If your cybersecurity efforts require deeper granularity, consider implementing a dedicated TARA tracker.
This tracker helps you document:
- Threat scenarios and classifications
- Attack vectors and potential entry points
- Impact analysis for potential damage
- Risk scoring to prioritize what matters most
- Mitigation strategies, linked directly to new requirements
You can take this another step further and have separate trackers for the threat scenarios, attack vectors, damage scenarios, etc. and link these items to the TARA items.
But again, if your team is better served by fewer tools, you can just extend your existing risk tracker with these fields. Customize visibility based on the category – keep things clean and relevant.
Handling Cybersecurity Incidents (Without More Bloat)
A separate Cybersecurity Incident tracker can be helpful for logging issues, performing root cause analysis, and linking incidents back to specific cybersecurity requirements.
That said, you can often achieve the same outcome by extending your existing bug or error trackers. Just add cybersecurity-relevant attributes like severity, source, or affected component.
The goal? Integrate cybersecurity into your everyday processes – not isolate it.
Final Thoughts: Cybersecurity Is a Culture, Not Just a Tracker
Codebeamer gives you the tools to make cybersecurity traceable, testable, and manageable – without sacrificing your existing development rhythm. Features like flexible workflows, risk matrices, and end-to-end traceability help you stay compliant without the chaos.
But remember: the right tools are just the start. A culture of cybersecurity awareness – built through training, collaboration, and ongoing vigilance – is what truly keeps your organization secure.
Ready to make cybersecurity part of your everyday development process? Let’s talk about how we can help you build a lean, compliant, and sustainable strategy.