Keep Dependencies & Tooling Automatically Up to Date

This standard mandates the automated management of dependencies and tooling to mitigate security risks and prevent the accumulation of technical debt, ensuring that systems remain secure, efficient, and maintainable.

1. Keep Dependencies & Tooling Automatically Up to Date: Manual updates of libraries and dependencies pose a significant security risk. Automation is crucial to ensure that systems are consistently up-to-date, minimizing vulnerabilities and technical debt.

  • 1.1 Automated Dependency Management:
    • 1.1.1 Dependency Tracking and Updates:
      • Implement automated dependency management tools (e.g., Dependabot, Renovate) to continuously track and update libraries.
      • Configure tools to automatically create pull requests for dependency updates.
    • 1.1.2 Automated Compatibility Testing:
      • Implement automated compatibility testing to validate that dependency updates do not introduce breaking changes.
      • Utilise integration and end-to-end tests to ensure system stability after updates.
    • 1.1.3 Automated Regression Testing:
      • Implement automated regression testing to ensure that dependency updates do not introduce regressions in existing functionality.
      • Automate regression testing as part of the CI/CD pipeline.
  • 1.2 Tooling and Framework Updates:
    • 1.2.1 Automated Tooling Updates:
      • Automate the update of development tools, frameworks, and infrastructure components.
      • Implement automated update mechanisms for CI/CD tools, container runtimes, and other essential software.
    • 1.2.2 Regular Deprecation Reviews:
      • Conduct regular reviews of outdated tools, frameworks, and services to identify candidates for deprecation.
      • Develop and implement migration plans to ensure smooth transitions.
    • 1.2.3 Security Patch Automation:
      • Automate the application of security patches for operating systems, libraries, and applications.
      • Implement automated vulnerability scanning and patching processes.
  • 1.3 CI/CD Integration and Validation:
    • 1.3.1 Automated Pipeline Triggers:
      • Automate pipeline triggers for dependency and tooling updates, ensuring continuous validation.
      • Integrate automated testing and validation into the CI/CD pipeline.
    • 1.3.2 Automated Deployment Validation:
      • Implement automated deployment validation to ensure that updates do not impact production environments.
      • Utilise canary deployments and feature flags to mitigate deployment risks.
    • 1.3.3 Rollback Automation:
      • Implement automated rollback mechanisms to revert to previous versions in case of update failures.
      • Automate rollback triggers based on monitoring metrics and error rates.
  • 1.4 Documentation and Knowledge Sharing:
    • 1.4.1 Automated Documentation Updates:
      • Automate the updating of documentation to reflect changes in dependencies and tooling.
      • Utilise documentation generation tools to ensure accuracy and consistency.
    • 1.4.2 Knowledge Sharing and Training:
      • Promote knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members on dependency and tooling updates.
      • Provide training and documentation on best practices for managing updates.
  • 1.5 Security and Compliance:
    • 1.5.1 Security Scanning Integration:
      • Integrate security scanning tools into the pipeline to identify vulnerabilities in dependencies.
      • Enforce security policies and fail the pipeline if vulnerabilities are found.
    • 1.5.2 Compliance Automation:
      • Automate compliance checks to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.
      • Implement compliance as code to enforce security and compliance policies.

By implementing automated dependency and tooling updates, organisations can significantly reduce security risks and technical debt, ensuring that systems remain secure, efficient, and maintainable.