Financial services firm enhances Code Signing Security and Developer Productivity

Last updated on February 7, 2024

Code integrity and security are paramount in the fast-paced world of financial services. Encryption Consulting’s CodeSign Secure has emerged as a game-changer for financial institutions seeking to fortify their code-signing processes without hampering developer productivity. This case study explores how CodeSign Secure transformed a financial services company’s code signing practices, resulting in heightened security, streamlined workflows, and significant productivity gains.

Challenges	Solution	Benefits
Protecting code signing keys from theft or misuse was a top concern.	CodeSign Secure stores private keys in FIPS 140-2 validated HSMs (such as that of Entrust, Thales, etc.), fortifying key security.	By storing private keys in Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), CodeSign Secure provides additional protection against theft and misuse, bolstering the overall security posture.
Ensuring security without impeding developer productivity was a delicate balance.	Developers can procure code signing keys seamlessly without special tools.	CodeSign Secure’s user-friendly approach allows developers to efficiently obtain code signing keys without needing specialized tools, reducing friction in the development process.
Managing access to code signing keys and meeting compliance requirements were critical.	The security team can customize access levels based on project type, acceptable risk, and request source. CodeSign Secure simplifies compliance reporting, eliminating audit pain points.	It enables security teams to tailor access levels based on project requirements and acceptable risk levels. Additionally, streamlined compliance reporting simplifies regulatory adherence and enhances audit efficiency, ensuring industry-standard compliance.
The need to meet stringent performance requirements, such as signing a file within 4ms.	By generating file hashes and transmitting them, along with private key alias names, to the Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), we achieved signature generation directly from the HSM in just 2ms.	CodeSign Secure’s rapid 2-millisecond signature generation, exceeding the 4-millisecond requirement, not only meets performance standards but also saves valuable time of team, optimizing their workflow for critical software development tasks.
Comprehensive logging, including timestamps, client IP addresses, file hashes, HSM-generated signatures, and certificate names.	We have implemented a robust logging mechanism in CodeSign Secure, capturing all requested data for each code signing request.	Through this detailed logging mechanism, CodeSign Secure ensures transparency by tracking code signing requests, data integrity via file hashes, and security analysis by including HSM-generated signatures and certificate names.

Conclusion

CodeSign Secure from Encryption Consulting revolutionized code signing for a leading financial services company.

It provided unprecedented security by safeguarding private keys and allowing for granular access control. Simultaneously, it empowered the client’s development teams by streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity. The robust auditing capabilities further strengthened their security posture and ensured compliance with industry standards.