Fujitsu, a global tech leader, needed a thorough security audit for their CyberTarcza platform. They were concerned about potential vulnerabilities in the system, which was originally developed by an external team.
Full Case Study
When Fujitsu contacted us, their CyberTarcza (CyberGuard) platform was already in production, protecting sensitive infrastructure. However, the system’s code had been written by a third-party team that, as it turned out, had cut a few corners. The development team lacked experience with secure coding practices, and the software had never undergone a proper security review.
The risk was significant. CyberTarcza was designed to protect critical resources, but if hackers exploited even a single vulnerability, the entire platform could be compromised. Fujitsu needed a team that could quickly assess the situation and provide actionable solutions.
What We Did
Our security audit process involved several key steps:
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Manual Code Analysis: We started by manually reviewing the source code, focusing on authentication processes, data handling, and encryption mechanisms. This initial sweep revealed poor password hashing practices, outdated encryption protocols, and multiple instances of hard-coded sensitive information.
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Automated Scanning with Internal Tools: Next, we used our proprietary internal tools to scan the codebase. These tools flagged several high-risk vulnerabilities, including SQL injection points, insecure API endpoints, and missing input validation.
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Identifying Anti-Patterns: Beyond security flaws, we discovered a range of architectural anti-patterns – poor separation of concerns, excessive reliance on global variables, and inefficient database queries that could have slowed the system under load.
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Creating a Clear Action Plan: We documented all findings in a structured report, detailing each issue, why it mattered, and how it could be exploited. For every vulnerability, we provided step-by-step instructions on how to fix it, complete with code snippets and best practices.
The Result
Why It Was Important to the Business: CyberTarcza isn’t just another application – it’s a defense tool designed to protect critical infrastructure. A single successful attack could have compromised sensitive data, disrupted operations, and damaged Fujitsu’s reputation.
Our audit helped ensure that the platform was no longer an easy target. By fixing the identified vulnerabilities, Fujitsu’s security team could confidently present the system to external auditors, knowing it met high standards of protection.
The Results:
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Critical vulnerabilities were patched, significantly reducing the attack surface.
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System performance improved after optimizing inefficient code.
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The platform passed an independent security audit shortly after implementing our recommendations.
Lessons Learned & Insights: Security is often treated as an afterthought, but this case reinforced the importance of building security into the development process from the start. If you’ve inherited a codebase from another team or suspect your system might have hidden vulnerabilities, a thorough security audit can provide clarity and peace of mind.