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“Every line of code is an attack surface — whether you wrote it or not.”

Software ASR focuses on the architecture, code, build tooling, and developer workflows that determine what your system consists of. From bloated frameworks to unnecessary microservices to development tools with excessive permissions — software surface is often the largest and least controlled.

1. Minimize Features, APIs, and Endpoints

• Only expose the interfaces you’re committed to maintain.
• Avoid “debug” or “experimental” endpoints in production builds.
• Use feature flags responsibly — and clean them up.

2. Internal Reuse Over External Dependence

• Prefer internal libraries and tools you can control.
• Minimize use of open-source packages with:
  • low stars
  • single maintainer
  • long dependency chains
• Don’t use full frameworks for single tasks (e.g., a 10k LOC web stack for 3 endpoints).

3. Shrink Your Build and Toolchain

• CI/CD shouldn’t pull 30 plugins to ship a static site.
• Reduce developer environment complexity:
  • Audit installed tools, CLI helpers, local daemons
• Avoid tools that require elevated access (e.g., root installers, kernel modules)

4. Limit Codebase Blast Radius

• Avoid global shared modules or deeply coupled components.
• Segment your codebase by trust boundaries, not team boundaries.
• Kill dead code and retired modules — if it’s not deployed, it’s not a risk.

5. Hardening Through Simplicity

• Simpler code is easier to review, test, and secure.
• Prefer boring tools over clever abstractions.
• Avoid DSLs or custom runtimes unless absolutely necessary.

6. Guidelines for Software ASR

7. Final Thought

“You’re not shipping a product. You’re shipping every tool, library, and helper that touched it.”

Software ASR isn’t about coding less — it’s about building only what you’re willing to own, maintain, and defend.

Third-Party Code and Tooling Integration

1. Open Source Dependency Discipline

Modern software stacks are overrun by transitive dependencies and bloated frameworks. Every imported package becomes an implicit trust decision.

• Audit your dependency tree.
• Remove packages you don’t actively use.
• Prefer mature, maintained libraries over flashy, one-off modules.
• Use SBOMs to monitor what’s really shipping in your builds.

2. CI/CD Plugin & Marketplace Risk

Many plugins and integrations in CI/CD systems (e.g. GitHub Actions, GitLab templates) come from unaudited, third-party sources.

• Self-host critical plugins or actions.
• Pin versions and audit sources.
• Avoid uses: or curl | bash integrations from unknown publishers.

3. Build Tools and Install Scripts

Post-install hooks and installer scripts often run with full access to developer environments.

• Avoid dynamic installation commands.
• Prefer signed, static binaries or container-based tooling.
• Don’t run scripts you don’t fully understand.

4. Browser Extensions & IDE Plugins

Developer-side tooling often introduces unexpected surface area:

• Extensions may access credentials, local storage, clipboard, and browser session tokens.
• Plugins may scrape logs, send telemetry, or auto-update silently.

Audit your environment like you’d audit production:

• Use minimal, vetted extensions.
• Separate personal and work browser/dev profiles.