Making a web interface for the software security tool

The Project

Our client represents a group of first-class engineers who work on a set of software products. Their main focus is to provide IT infrastructure for software applications and networks under the highest standards of security.

The Challenge

The client came to us with an initial request to create an MVP within a very limited timeframe. We were meant to finish the MVP development before the planned product demonstration date. We also had to take into account that the app is meant to be used by the US government structures like AirForce or SpaceForce where security is of paramount importance.

So after gathering the project requirements, it was obvious that the project consisted of two parts, and our responsibility lay in the web app development.

The scanning part was created by the client. Our task was to create a web application where an end-user can start the code scanning and see the results through a user-friendly web interface. To make it possible we needed to develop a Web Client for the initial scanning tool. We've thought through the required web architecture to reach the purpose.

Besides that, the client has previously worked with another agency that has delivered the app design. However, the result was unsatisfactory, so we have offered a new design that was well appreciated in the end.

The project was tightly limited by the strict deadline so our app development team started right away. Our experts asked all the necessary questions and described the way we see the whole project, roughly estimated the project development, and defined how we can fit into the deadlines. The client liked our proposals a lot so we've moved on with the MVP development stage pretty fast.

It is a web application specifically designed for engineers that scans three things:

• Docker containers;
• Docker images;
• Git Repositories.

First, the public ones and, after a while, it is meant to scan the private ones as well. How does it work?

To scan a certain product for potential vulnerabilities, a user can provide a link to Git Repository, Dockerfile, or the name of the Docker Container from the DockerHub via a web interface. The scanning tool matches the product code with the database of the most common vulnerabilities. Once done, a user can see the detailed results on the web interface that shows the emphasized code lines and explicit explanations of the detected flaws.

Besides the core functionality, we have implemented the following features:

From starters, our experts have offered the technology stack by themselves based on the discussed business objectives. Node.js was the most suitable backend technology as real-time events were planned to be conducted there.

Likewise, to reduce the development time and meet the deadlines we've decided to buy the dashboard template that our clients liked very much. It turned out to have the React implementation. That is how React became our primary frontend development technology.

Ultimately, our development team consulted the client about the perfect architecture that was meant to connect frontend and backend into a well-functioning solution.