Basic Pipeline Integration

Start with basic integration in a non-blocking mode to gather data and build confidence. Add SCA scanning as a parallel job that doesn't fail builds, allowing teams to observe results without disrupting delivery. This approach reveals the volume and types of issues in your codebase while teams learn to interpret and act on findings. Monitor scan duration to understand performance impact and plan for optimization.

# Example: Basic GitHub Actions SCA Integration
name: Security Scan
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  sca-scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Run SCA Scan
        uses: snyk/actions/node@master
        continue-on-error: true  # Non-blocking initially
        env:
          SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
      - name: Upload results
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
        with:
          name: sca-results
          path: snyk-results.json

Configure SCA tools to scan at multiple pipeline stages for comprehensive coverage. Initial scans during the build phase catch direct dependencies declared in manifests. Post-build scans analyze generated artifacts, including transitive dependencies resolved during compilation. Container scans examine final deployment artifacts, catching base image vulnerabilities and runtime dependencies. Each stage provides unique insights contributing to overall security posture.

Implement intelligent caching to improve performance. Most SCA tools support caching vulnerability databases and previous scan results. Configure your CI/CD platform to cache these artifacts between builds, dramatically reducing scan times. Balance cache freshness with performance—daily updates typically suffice for vulnerability data, while scan result caches might expire after hours. Monitor cache hit rates to ensure effectiveness.