SOC 2 Compliance for Busy Devs – Change Management automation with qodo (formerly Codium)

TL;DR: Achieving SOC 2 compliance is crucial but often challenging. Qodo’s (formerly Codium) git-plugin and IDE extensions offer a solution to common SOC 2 pain points by facilitating key processes. While exploring the intricacies of CC8.1, we identified change management (which includes documentation, tracking, testing, approval, deployment of changes) as our focus area. Qodo (formerly Codium) streamlines these processes by automating tasks like changelog updates, documentation addition, PR descriptions, test generation and more. Though some features are in development (such as integration with ticket management systems) Qodo (formerly Codium) already stands as a transformative force in SOC 2 change management automation, empowering developers to navigate change management efficiently and adherence to industry standards.

The era of SOC 2 compliance automation

In the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity and data governance, achieving SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) compliance has become a benchmark for organizations committed to safeguarding sensitive information. As the digital realm expands, so does the importance of robust security measures and adherence to industry standards. Enter the era of SOC 2 compliance automation, where innovative solutions offered by various companies are reshaping the way businesses approach and conquer the challenges of certification.

Companies like Vanta, Scytale, and Secureframe have emerged as trailblazers in the realm of SOC 2 compliance automation. These industry leaders recognize the intricate nature of compliance requirements and the need for efficient, technology-driven solutions. Using their own solutions and their partners’, these companies enable covering the requirements from different aspects, from authentication to change management. In this blog post, we will review Qodo (formerly Codium) automated solutions and show how they can effortlessly address a challenging subset of the requirements for SOC 2 compliance.

Qodo’s (formerly Codium) IDE Extensions designed for Visual Studio Code and JetBrains, thoroughly analyze code to produce meaningful tests that effectively identify bugs. This versatile tool not only provides code explanations, suggestions, and automatically generates docstrings but also aids developers in swiftly crafting comprehensive test suites to guarantee the reliability and correctness of their code. The extensions boast a chat feature that facilitates code review assistance and Pull Request (PR) preparation. Moreover, the tool incorporates behavior coverage analysis for a more comprehensive understanding of code behavior.

Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent) is an open-source tool (i.e. mostly open-sourced with advanced adds on which are not open-sourced) that automatically analyzes pull requests, and provides several types of feedback. It takes center stage in the software development process, playing a crucial role in guaranteeing code quality, security, and fostering collaboration among team members through pull request reviews. Tackling the challenges posed by time-consuming reviews, especially in the context of larger projects, Qodo (formerly Codium) Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent) emerges as an innovative tool poised to revolutionize this essential aspect. We will delve into the transformative capabilities of Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent), exploring how it automates and enhances SOC 2 compliance readiness, mostly regarding the change management requirements.

What does SOC 2 Change Management (CC8) entail?

AICPA SOC 2 Criteria documentation is laying out the needed processes required to achieve SOC 2 compliance. Section CC8.1 that relates to Change Management; the sections states: “The entity authorizes, designs, develops or acquires, configures, documents, tests, approves, and implements changes to infrastructure, data, software, and procedures to meet its objectives.”

The Points of Focus within Change Management (CC8) outline a series of requirements pertaining to the management of changes in infrastructure, data, software, and procedures. In essence, the focus is on ensuring that changes to each component are authorized, tested, approved, and documented in an auditable manner. Understanding your organization’s stance on change management and adhering to the criteria set out in Common Criteria 8 will contribute to maintaining the safety and security of your organization’s data. Moreover, following the guidance provided in CC8 will enhance your chances of receiving a favorable SOC 2 report.

CC8.1 Requirements:

While CC8.1 may appear straightforward on the surface, it involves intricate details. We will explore each Point of Focus and provide an overall discussion on best practices to offer context. Keep in mind that this Common Criteria may lack “obvious” answers for your organization, as your change management process is likely to differ significantly from others. The text provided outlines points of focus for reports, particularly in the context of managing changes throughout the system life cycle. These points are summarized as follows:

1. Process: “Manages Changes Throughout the System Lifecycle — A process for managing system changes throughout the lifecycle of the system and its components (infrastructure, data, software and procedures) is used to support system availability and processing integrity.”
   Meaning: This process requires you to have a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) that is documented, and the R&D is following when applying changes.
   Solution: Software Development Life Cycle documentation and management is not part of Qodo’s (formerly Codium) roadmap, but there are companies such as Keypup that aid in that.
2. Process: “Authorizes Changes — A process is in place to authorize system changes prior to development.”
   Meaning: Business should drive system requirements. Hence, authorization of a change should precede the development, and it should be conveyed through tickets.
   Solution: Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent) pro’s upcoming feature will allow to connect PRs with existing tickets stay tuned!
3. Process: “Designs and Develops Changes — A process is in place to design and develop system changes.”
   Meaning: Refers to creating lower-level technical documentation and writing the code to implement the requested changes.
   Solution: Inherent to software development and usually supported by a source code repository/git provider that handles pull requests/merges
4. Process: “Documents Changes — A process is in place to document system changes to support ongoing maintenance of the system and to support system users in performing their responsibilities.”
   Meaning: Processes to keep employees, contractors, and customers informed of system changes.
   Solution:Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent)’s changelog update feature (/update_changelog) automatically updates the CHANGELOG.md file with the PR changes. Additionally, Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent)’s add documentation feature (/add_docs) allows to automatically add code documentation where it is missing to ease future maintenace by employees.
5. Process: “Tracks System Changes — A process is in place to track system changes prior to implementation.”
   Meaning: Maintain documentation to track changes throughout their lifecycle.
   Solution: Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent)’s Auto Description (/describe) automatically generates PR description – title, type, summary, code walkthrough and labels.
6. Process: “Configures Software — A process is in place to select and implement the configuration parameters used to control the functionality of software.”
   Meaning: Keep track of configurations/parameters for both the software you’ve purchased and the software you’ve developed.
   Solution: Tracking configuration is supported by a source code repository/git provider that handles file versioning/merges
7. Process: “Tests System Changes — A process is in place to test system changes prior to implementation.”
   Meaning: This process requires you to document and perform testing prior to pushing the changes into the production environment.
   Solution: Qodo (formerly Codium)’s strong point is automatic tests generation, it allows to generate the test code and text document before, during and after development using its IDE extensions for VSCode and JetBrains. These tests allow us to make sure that changes are implemented correctly.
8. Process: “Approves System Changes — A process is in place to approve system changes prior to implementation.”
   Meaning: Refers to approval of changes by the Product & Business-side, confirming the completion of requisite tasks/tickets.
   Solution: Soon, Qodo (formerly Codium) tools will be able to verify that a change corresponds to a specific ticket and that the change was implemented as intended. But for now, use the similar issue finder (/similar_issue) to close similar issues to the ones the specific change just solved.
9. Process: “Deploys System Changes — A process is in place to implement system changes.”
   Meaning: Emphasizes segregation of duties in the deployment process to prevent one-sided changes by individuals.
   Solution: Git providers usually provide the process and enforces that changes aren’t deployed without a review and approval; this process sometimes delays the deployment process. Using the review command (/review) of the Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent) helps expedite the approval process.
10. Process: “Identifies and Evaluates System Changes — Objectives affected by system changes are identified, and the ability of the modified system to meet the objectives is evaluated throughout the system development life cycle.”
    Meaning: This process requires you to align changes with the organization’s objectives, usually it is inherently reflected in the documentation.
    Solution: Is this change aligned with the roadmap of organizational objectives? just use Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent)’s ask (/ask) command and you can use its reply to document this change alignment.
11. Process: “Identifies Changes in Infrastructure, Data, Software, and Procedures Required to Remediate Incidents — Changes in infrastructure, data, software, and procedures required to remediate incidents to continue to meet objectives are identified, and the change process is initiated upon identification.”
    Meaning: Making sure that changes that were made in order to restore and recover from incidents should follow the change management process.
    Solution: Since Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent) operates automatically, the change management processes that it solves, apply to both routine deployment as well as incident recovery.
12. Process: “Creates Baseline Configuration of IT Technology — A baseline configuration of IT and control systems is created and maintained.”
    Meaning: Maintain baseline configurations through documentation or Infrastructure as Code repository.
    Solution: This could be either a guiding document or as an Infrastructure as Code repository that goes through the change management process.
13. Process: “Provides for Changes Necessary in Emergency Situations — A process is in place for authorizing, designing, testing, approving and implementing changes necessary in emergency situations (that is, changes that need to be implemented in an urgent timeframe).”
    Meaning: Emergency changes must still follow change management procedures but may have specific call-outs for emergency changes.
    Solution: Since qodo’s (formerly Codium) test suite and documentation can be generated in almost zero time, they can be easily used in emergency situations where changes need to be applied rapidly.
14. Process: “Protects Confidential Information — The entity protects confidential information during system design, development, testing, implementation, and change processes to meet the entity’s objectives related to confidentiality.”
    Meaning: Confidential information should be protected throughout the change management process.
    Solution: Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent)’s review (/review) and suggest (/suggest) commands alert whenever there is a use of confidential information.
15. Process: “Protects Personal Information — The entity protects personal information during system design, development, testing, implementation, and change processes to meet the entity’s objectives related to privacy.”
    Meaning: Personal information should be protected throughout the change management process.
    Solution: Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent)’s review (/review) and suggest (/suggest) alert whenever there is a use of personal information.

In conclusion, qodo (formerly Codium) stands out as a transformative force in the era of SOC 2 compliance automation. With its IDE Extensions and Qodo Merge (formerly PR-Agent) tool, qodo (formerly Codium) empowers developers to navigate the intricate landscape of change management efficiently. By addressing the nuanced requirements of SOC 2, qodo (formerly Codium) contributes to a streamlined and automated compliance process. As organizations strive to meet the stringent standards of data governance, qodo (formerly Codium) offers a valuable ally for busy developers, ensuring robust security measures and adherence to industry standards in an ever-expanding digital realm.