Cycode Software Supply Chain Security for Modern CI/CD
Modern engineering teams ship code quickly across repositories, pipelines, containers, and cloud services, accelerating innovation while expanding the attack surface beyond traditional security models. As systems become more connected, software supply chain security becomes critical, since attackers increasingly target earlier stages of delivery, especially CI/CD pipelines where trust is assumed, and controls are often weaker.
Once inside a pipeline, a single exposed secret or compromised build step can move from commit to deployment and spread risk across environments. Cycode addresses this challenge by giving developers a unified way to secure the software supply chain without slowing everyday workflows.
What Cycode Does
At its core, Cycode integrates directly with the engineering ecosystem and continuously validates everything connected to your code. By operating across tools and stages of delivery, it provides a consistent security layer without requiring teams to change how they work.
Supported Integrations
Cycode fits naturally into existing engineering environments by supporting widely used platforms.
- SCM: GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps
- CI/CD: Jenkins, Argo, GitHub Actions
- Containers & Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes, Helm
- Artifact Registries: Amazon ECR, Artifactory, Docker Hub
Security Capabilities
Once connected, Cycode automatically enforces security across the software delivery lifecycle. As a result, teams gain visibility and control without relying on manual checks.
Specifically, Cycode:
- Scans for secrets, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities
- Tracks unusual activity across repositories and pipelines
- Blocks risky builds and dangerous pull requests
- Validates dependencies and build artifacts
- Helps developers remediate issues quickly
In short, Cycode functions as a single security layer across all engineering tools.
How Cycode Works
To provide context, Cycode builds a complete graph of the SDLC.
Repositories → Pipelines → Builds → Artifacts → Deployments
By mapping these relationships, teams can clearly see how changes move through systems. This makes it easier to answer critical questions, such as:
- Which pipelines deploy to production
- Which users have elevated permissions
- Which commits modify CI/CD configurations
- Which images rely on risky layers
- Which services depend on unsafe libraries
Because this context is connected, teams can quickly identify where issues originte and understand how they affect downstream systems.
Developer Workflow: Day-to-Day with Cycode
1. Connect Your Repositories
First, a simple OAuth connection imports repositories and pipeline definitions. From there, Cycode immediately begins analyzing commits, branches, workflows, and build metadata.
2. Install and Use the Cycode CLI
Developers can also run local scans using the Cycode CLI:
pip install cycode
cycode auth login
Popular local scans include:
cycode scan secrets
cycode scan iac
cycode scan containers
cycode scan commits –staged
3. Add Automated Pull Request Checks
Next, teams can enforce automated pull request checks. These checks block PRs that include:
- Hardcoded secrets
- Insecure infrastructure-as-code (IaC)
- Risky dependency updates
- Unauthorized CI/CD script changes
4. Enforce CI/CD Pipeline Protections
In addition, Cycode policies prevent high-risk pipeline activity by enforcing rules such as:
- Preventing pipelines from running on untrusted runners
- Blocking the use of unsigned container images
- Stopping deployments after unauthorized configuration changes
5. Monitor Pipelines in Real Time
Finally, Cycode monitors pipelines in real time and alerts teams to suspicious behavior, including:
- Jobs triggered from unknown IP addresses
- Unexpected privileged containers
- Environment variable manipulation
Key Features
- Secrets Scanning: Cycode identifies exposed API keys, tokens, and passwords before they become an entry point for attackers. It scans repositories, pipelines, and container images to catch sensitive data wherever it appears.
- Dependency Security: It analyzes third-party packages and libraries used across projects and builds. As a result, vulnerable, outdated, or malicious dependencies are detected before they reach production.
- CI/CD Hardening: It strengthens pipeline security by identifying and blocking high-risk behaviors early. This protects against dangerous pipeline conditions, including:
- Public or shared runners
- Exposed credentials
- Harmful build steps
- IaC Security: Cycode validates infrastructure-as-code definitions before deployment across environments. This assesses Terraform, Helm, Kubernetes, and cloud configurations for:
- Open ports
- Public access
- Weak IAM roles
- Container and Artifact Security: This ensures only verified and trustworthy components move through the delivery pipeline. Integrity checks and policy controls enforce:
- Trusted, signed container images
- Safe base layers
- Validated build artifacts
What Developers Gain
With Cycode in place, developers benefit from:
- Clean, intuitive dashboards
- A powerful CLI for fast local scans
- Automated pull request and pipeline enforcement
- Clear, actionable remediation guidance
- Unified visibility across microservices
- Security built directly into daily workflows
Conclusion
As software delivery takes on greater responsibility across the business, software supply chain security must become part of how software is built rather than something added after release. As a result, engineering teams depend on clear visibility and enforceable controls as pipelines, platforms, and dependencies become harder to track. Cycode supports this shift by embedding security directly into build, validation, and release workflows. This makes it easier to adopt new architectures and delivery models without introducing unnecessary friction. Ultimately, Cycode helps organizations move forward with confidence in what they are shipping.
